JAMES  CREELMAN 


7 


EAGLE 
BLOOD 


ItNiV.  OF  CAUF.  LWRARY.  LOS  ANGELES 


"THE    &WORD   OF   BUNKER    HILL"      (See  page 


EAGLE     BLOOD 


#23 


JAMES   CREELMAN 

Author   of 
"  0»  the   Great  Highway" 


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J"  ITTLE  were  the  change  of  station,  loss  of 

I  J  rf 

life  or  crown, 

But  the  wreck  were  past  retrieving  if  the 
Man  fell  down." 


OO  his  iron  mace  he  lifted,  smote  with 

might  and  main, 

And  the  idol,  on  the  pavement  tumbling, 
burst  in  twain. 

—  LOWELL 


Illustrations 

•  The  Sword  of  Bunker  Hill"      .          .  Frontispiece 

Page 
•Marry  a  rich  American"  16 

•  ^Ah  !  good  evening,  my  lady  '  "  .          .          .          .      ijcj 

Leaped  from  his  saddle,  and  lifting  the  fallen  stars 

and  stripes  ..."          .          .          .          .          .      2  Jo 

" c  Would  you  be  sorry  if  I  should  return  to  England, 
Helen?'" 

" c  London  Bridge  is  burning  down  ' '       . 

5%  %  5fi  S  •&  w  %  •:?!-  w  w  •:?:•  ^  •:»  -^  •:»  ^  -»j  •*  S  S  ^  w 


u 


Eagle   Blood 

CHAPTER  I 

A  BATTALION  of  stalwart  grenadiers  swung 
through  Fleet  Street  in  the  rain,  with  squealing 
fifes  and  roaring  drums,  the  dripping  red  ensign 
flapping  in  the  wind  above  the  moving  mass  of 
scarlet  and  steel  and  sodden  bearskins.  A  thou- 
sand faces  looked  down  from  a  thousand  grimy 
windows  and  a  hoarse  murmur  of  cheering  came 
from  under  the  lines  of  streaming  black  umbrellas, 
crawling  and  bumping,  turtle-like,  along  the 
splashed  pavements ;  for  if  anything  can  move 
the  voice  of  that  most  British  street  in  the 
British  Empire,  it  is  the  sight  of  the  gloriously 
sharp  steel  that  guards  the  sacred  cause  of  British 
commerce  throughout  the  dividend-paying  world. 
Even  the  fat  little  hairdresser  who  shears  British 
manes  in  Cardinal  Wolsey's  dishonored  palace  — 


12  EAGLE    BLOOD 

and  can  see  from  his  back  windows  the  Temple 
Church,  where  the  dead  crusaders  lie  forgotten  — 
waved  a  brave  napkin  as  the  mud-spattered  sol- 
diers halted  at  Temple  Bar,  faced  outward  and 
moved  backward  to  allow  the  brawling  tide  of 
omnibuses  and  cabs  to  sweep  into  their  wonted 
channel,  while  a  jaunty  officer  swore  eloquently 
at  the  jeering  cabbies  as  he  rode  through  the 
jostling  vehicles  in  search  of  his  Exalted  High- 
ness, the  Rajah  of  Jinghool,  moving  in  state  with 
the  Heir  Apparent  toward  the  shrieking  central 
market-place  of  Christendom. 

The  thousand  faces  receded  from  the  windows, 
and  Fleet  Street  forgot  for  the  moment  the  red 
ensign  and  the  shining  bayonets. 

"  To  put  the  matter  quite  plainly,  my  lord, 
there  is  not  a  shilling  left,  —  not  a  shilling,"  said 
Mr.  Chadder,  dryly,  as  the  fifes  ended  with  a 
plaintive  skirl.  "  The  sale  of  the  South  London 
Boot  and  Shoe  Works  to  the  Americans  at  a 
time  like  this  was,  to  say  the  least,  unfortunate. 
I  did  all  I  could  to  delay  the  foreclosure  proceed- 
ings, knowing  that  you  would  be  ruined,  but  the 


EAGLE    BLOOD  13 

court  refused  to  grant  any  more  time.  I  need 
not  say  to  your  father's  son  that  I  am  sorry 
matters  have  ended  so." 

The  burly  solicitor  pushed  the  iron-bound 
spectacles  up  on  his  forehead  and  glanced  under 
his  shaggy  white  brows  at  the  pale  young  man 
who  stood  looking  through  a  sooty  window  at 
the  falling  rain  and  the  scarlet  ranks  of  grenadiers 
in  Fleet  Street.  Something  in  the  slim  figure, 
straight,  narrow  shoulders,  and  thin,  boyish  face 
touched  the  old  man's  heart,  and  his  countenance 
softened. 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment.  The  young 
Viscount  Delaunay  drummed  idly  on  the  win- 
dow-pane with  his  ringers  and  watched  a  bewigged 
barrister  floundering  in  his  drenched  gown  across 
the  roaring  thoroughfare  below.  Then  he  turned 
away  and  sat  down  beside  the  solicitor's  desk. 
His  slender  face  was  bloodless,  and  there  were 
dark  rings  under  the  haggard  blue  eyes. 

"  It's  hard,  I  know,"  said  Mr.  Chadder,  as  he 
twirled  an  inky  quill  pen  between  his  sinewy 
thumb  and  forefinger,  "  but,  after  all  — " 

"  Yes,"   cried    the    young    man,    in   a    sudden 


i4  EAGLE    BLOOD 

rage,  "after  all,  I'm  the  first  man  of  my  blood 
in  more  than  eight  hundred  years  without  money 
enough  to  buy  a  drink." 

"As  for  drink,  my  lord,"  said  the  solicitor, 
slowly,  his  face  hardening,  "  I  think  that  the  less 
we  say  about  that,  the  better.  You  will  remember, 
sir  —  if  I  may  speak  without  offence  —  that  your 
distinguished  father  —  " 

"  Be  kind  enough  to  leave  my  father's  name 
out  of  the  conversation,"  said  the  viscount,  as  he 
threw  his  head  back  and  his  cheeks  reddened. 
"  You  forget  yourself,  Chadder." 

"  As  you  will,  sir,"  answered  Mr.  Chadder, 
with  a  sudden  deference.  "  God  forbid  that  I 
should  say  anything  to  wound  your  feelings." 

"Oh,  come,  Chadder,  I'm  too  quick,"  exclaimed 
the  youth,  impulsively.  "I'm  face  to  face  with 
beggary.  I  don't  know  what  I'm  saying.  I 
don't  know  where  to  turn  "  —  the  slender  throat 
gulped  and  the  proud,  weak  mouth  trembled. 
"  I  can't  help  it.  A  man  like  you  can  never 
understand.  Good  God,  Chadder !  what  am  I  to 
do  for  a  living  ?  " 

Mr.    Chadder    settled    his    massive    shoulders 


EAGLE    BLOOD  15 

back  in  his  leather  chair  and  set  the  spectacles 
down  firmly  on  his  enormous  nose.  He  thrust 
out  his  thick  under-lip  and  brought  the  tips  of 
his  fingers  together  with  an  impressive  professional 
cough. 

"  I've  been  thinking  of  that,  sir,"  he  said 
gravely.  "  Yes,  I've  been  thinking  of  it  for  a 
long  time.  I've  seen  the  end  coming.  But  per- 
haps your  lordship  might  be  offended  if  I  ven- 
tured to  speak  plainly."  The  solicitor's  keen 
eyes  regarded  the  white  face  anxiously.  "  Your 
pride  —  " 

"  Oh,  cut  all  that,  Chadder.  What  am  I  to  do 
to  pay  my  creditors  and  live  ?  " 

"  Sell  the  title." 

"  Sell  —  why  you're  jesting  !  An  Englishman 
can't  sell  his  rank." 

"  It's  done  every  year,  my  lord,"  observed 
Mr.  Chadder,  with  a  wintry  smile. 

"  Done  every  year  ?  Impossible  !  Why,  what 
do  you  mean  ?  " 

Mr.  Chadder  stood  up,  folded  his  arms  across 
his  mighty  chest,  and  looked  the  viscount  straight 
in  the  eyes.  The  silence  was  painful.  The  veins 


16  EAGLE    BLOOD 

stood  out  on  his  great,  wrinkled  forehead,  and  the 
muscles  of  his  mouth  quivered. 

"  Well,  Chadder,  out  with  it !  " 

"  Marry  a  rich  American.  It's  the  only  way 
out." 

"  What  ?  "  gasped  the  youth,  leaping  to  his 
feet,  "the  heir  to  an  earldom,  with  the  blood  of 
Godfrey  de  Bouillon  in  his  veins,  sell  himself  to 
a  pork-packer's  daughter  for  cash  ?  "  The  blue 
eyes  flashed  angrily,  and  the  slight  figure  seemed 
to  grow  taller.  "  Chadder,  I  took  you  for  an 
honest  Englishman,  but  you're  a  — "  the  shrill 
voice  shook  with  passion  —  "  you're  a  damned 
cad  !  " 

The  old  man  shrank  back  as  if  from  a  blow, 
and  his  arms  dropped  helplessly  by  his  side. 
For  an  instant  the  viscount  stood  trembling  with 
anger,  his  lips  parted,  teeth  clenched,  and  bright 
blotches  of  red  glowing  in  his  infuriate  face. 
Then  he  sank  meekly  to  his  seat. 

"  Forgive  me,"  he  faltered.     "  I  didn't  mean  it 

—  no,  really,  Chadder,  —  I'm  a  bally,  ungrateful 

» 
ass  — 

Mr.  Chadder  placed   his   hand  on   the  young 


MARRY  A   RICH  AMERICAN. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  17 

man's  head  and  leaned  over  him  with  a  look  of 
deep  affection. 

"  Lord  Delaunay,"  he  said  in  a  slow,  deliberate 
way,  "  I  would  take  that  insult  from  no  other 
man.  You  are  twenty-four  years  old,  and,  at, 
your  age,  a  man  has  ideals  and  prejudices  that 
seem  foolish  to  one  who  has  had  to  deal  with  the 
hard  facts  of  life,  the  empty  pride  of  rank,  the 
stern  necessities  of  changing  conditions.  I  may 
take  a  sordid  view  of  matters,  but  we  are  living 
in  a  sordid  age.  What  I  have  said  to  you  I  said 
as  your  dead  father's  friend  and  as  your  friend 
and  counsellor,  for  I  am  truly  your  friend." 

"You  are,  Chadder,  you  are"  —  and  the  blue 
eyes  brimmed  with  tears;  "I'm  an  infernal  — " 

"  No,"  said  the  solicitor,  quietly,  "  you  are  the 
last  of  a  house  founded  by  force,  and  you  inherit 
the  idea  that  the  world  owes  you  a  living  because 
the  great  knight  whose  crest  you  wear  helped  the 
Conqueror  to  crush  the  Saxon  nobles  and  fought 
with  his  kinsman  in  the  conquest  of  Jerusalem. 
The  days  of  feudal  chivalry  are  gone.  Godfrey 
de  Bouillon  refused  to  wear  a  king's  crown  in 
Jerusalem  because  the  Saviour  wore  a  crown  of 


1 8  EAGLE    BLOOD 

thorns  there ;  the  first  Earl  of  Castlehurst,  the 
founder  of  your  line,  struck  Louis  the  Fat  in  the 
face  for  offering  him  a  dukedom  as  the  price  of 
disloyalty  to  the  Conqueror,  and  was  rewarded  for 
his  fidelity  with  an  English  earldom  ;  but  go  out 
into  the  streets  of  London  to-day  and  see  what  it 
is  that  moves  the  world.  A  title  without  money 
invites  pity  or  ridicule." 

Mr.  Chadder  resumed  his  chair  and  his  pro- 
fessional manner.  He  seemed  to  feel  himself 
master  of  the  situation. 

"  Now  what  have  I  proposed  to  you,  sir  ?  "  he 
continued,  as  he  softly  rubbed  his  palms  together 
and  cocked  one  leg  over  the  other.  "  Simply 
that  you  shall  recognize  things  as  they  are  and 
not  as  you  think  they  ought  to  be.  England  has 
seen  her  best  days.  The  competition  of  America 
is  driving  our  manufacturers  and  merchants  to  the 
wall.  We  are  becoming  poorer  every  year,  while 
the  Americans  are  becoming  richer.  The  forced 
sale  of  the  South  London  Boot  and  Shoe  Works, 
which  has  destroyed  your  lordship's  last  source  of 
income,  is  simply  an  incident  of  the  American 
invasion.  England  offers  no  opportunities  to  a 


EAGLE    BLOOD  19 

penniless  nobleman.  His  very  rank  shuts  him 
out  of  employments  in  which  others  may  engage. 
The  traditions  of  his  family  doom  him  to  silent 
poverty." 

"  And  the  alternative  is  that  he  must  sell  him- 
self to  an  American  squaw,"  remarked  the  vis- 
count, bitterly,  "and  spend  the  rest  of  his  life 
trying  to  buy  back  his  self-respect." 

He  took  a  bunch  of  violets  from  his  button- 
hole and  pressed  it  daintily  to  his  nostrils,  as  if  to 
drive  away  the  thought. 

"  But  all  Americans  are  not  vulgar,"  argued 
Mr.  Chadder,  "  and  it's  as  easy  to  love  a  rich  girl 
as  a  poor  one." 

"  I  hate  Americans,"  said  the  youth,  setting 
his  single  eyeglass  in  position,  as  though  he  were 
surveying  the  offending  race  at  that  moment. 
"They're  loud-voiced,  badly  dressed,  purse- 
proud,  aggressive  and  —  oh,  Chadder,  hang  it,  I 
can't  stand  them  !  They're  all  champagne  and 
diamonds  and  brag." 

"The  men  —  um  ;  yes,  perhaps  some  of  the 
men  may  be  like  that,"  said  Mr.  Chadder,  "but 
we  were  not  speaking  of  the  men." 


20  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  And  the  women  are  vain  and  talkative. 
They  tell  you  all  they  know,  and  more  too,  ten 
minutes  after  you've  met  them." 

"  It's  a  big  subject,"  sighed  the  solicitor,  evi- 
dently beyond  his  depth,  "  and  I  can't  pretend  to 
control  your  views  in  such  matters ;  but  a  mo- 
ment's serious  reflection  ought  to  convince  you, 
my  lord,  that  a  young  man  in  your  position  has 
a  better  chance  in  America,  where  titles  are 
venerated  —  yes,  worshipped  —  than  in  England. 
After  all,  you  would  not  be  the  first  man  of  your 
family  whose  marriage  was  based  on  other  con- 
siderations than  affection.  It  seems  to  me  that 
wealth  is  as  fair  an  object  as  political  power. 
Your  great-grandfather  married  the  daughter  of 
his  bitterest  enemy  simply  to  end  a  political 
quarrel." 

The  drums  throbbed  in  Fleet  Street  and  the 
fifes  shrilled  piercingly. 

"  Rule  Britannia  !    Britannia  rules  the  waves  ! 
\ 

And  Britons  never  shall  be  slaves." 

"  Listen  to  that,  Chadder,"  cried  the  viscount. 
"  Doesn't  it  make  your  blood  hot  again  ? " 


EAGLE    BLOOD  21 

A  roar  of  voices  announced  the  arrival  of  the 
Rajah  and  the  Heir  Apparent  at  Temple  Bar. 
The  sound  of  a  trumpet  rang  splendidly,  and  the 
tramp  of  troops  was  heard. 

"  Rule  Britannia  !     Britannia  rules  the  waves  ! 
And  Britons  never,  never,  never  shall  be  slaves." 

"  Marriage  with  a  rich  American,"  continued 
Mr.  Chadder,  without  taking  notice  of  the  inter- 
ruption, "  would  enrich  your  own  country.  You 
would  be,  as  it  were,  nationalizing  the  wealth  of 
your  wife.  I  need  not  tell  you  that  the  income 
of  Battlecragie  —  now  that  all  the  timber  has  been 
sold  —  is  eaten  up  by  the  interest  charges  on  the 
debts  of  the  estate,  and  the  Earl  of  Castlehurst  is 
in  desperate  financial  straits." 

"  I've  heard  that  my  grandfather  is  having  a 
hard  time  of  it  on  the  old  place.  He  was  hard 
enough  on  me,  God  knows  !  " 

"And  it  may  yet  be  your  fortune,"  said  Mr. 
Chadder,  pursuing  his  theme,  "  to  restore  your 
birthplace  to  something  like  its  former  dignity. 
It  is  a  mere  matter  of  common  sense." 

The  noise  in  the  street  swelled  to  a  thunderous 


22  EAGLE    BLOOD 

tumult ;  the  two  men  moved  to  the  window  and 
looked  out.  A  fog  was  descending,  and  they 
could  see  the  scarlet  and  steel  and  the  red  en- 
sign disappearing  in  the  mist,  while  the  whining 
of  the  fifes  came  faintly  through  the  dull  clamor 
of  the  trampling  multitude. 

"  I'd  join  the  army  if  I  had  the  physique,"  said 
the  viscount,  "  but  my  ancestors  used  up  the  vi- 
tality of  the  family  long  ago.  By  God  !  Chadder," 

—  and  his  face  flushed,  —  "I'll  go  to  America. 
No,  I'll  not  sell  myself  to  a  tradesman's  daughter 

—  I'll  leave  my  title  behind  me.     If  I  go,  I'll  go 
like  a  man,  and  make  my  way  honestly.     There 
must  be  some  drop  of  the  old  blood  in  me.     No, 
I  won't  be  a  target  for  the  American  newspapers. 
Why,   Chadder!    I'll    take    my   mother's    name, 
Dorsay.     Hugh   Dorsay  !     That  sounds    demo- 
cratic enough,  doesn't  it?     Hugh  Dorsay,  plain 
Englishman." 

"  But,  my  lord,  there  might  be  complications." 

"  Complications  ?       Complications,     Chadder  ? 

What  rot !    I'm  an  orphan,  and  there's  nothing  to 

keep  me  in  London  a  day  longer.    My  grandfather 

has  cast  me  out,  and  my  creditors  —  bless  them  ! 


EAGLE    BLOOD  23 

—  have  no  idea  of  my  present  address  ;  and  you, 
Chadder,  you  shall  be  the  keeper  of  my  secret. 
You  shall  forward  my  letters  to  me  under  cover. 
You,  Chadder,  —  Chadder,  the  inscrutable  and 
the  ever  faithful !  —  shall  keep  the  curious  sup- 
plied with  discreet  and  careful  tales  of  my 
wanderings  in  Europe  or  Asia  or  Africa,  or  any 
other  bally  place  that  occurs  to  you,  in  search  of 
health ;  and  mind  you  keep  the  Morning  Post 
well  informed,  Chadder,  for  the  sake  of — well, 
after  all,  there  are  a  few  who  will  miss  me  besides 
my  creditors." 

"  It  occurs  to  me  that  we  should  consult  the 
Earl  of  Castlehurst,"  stammered  the  solicitor. 
"  It  is  customary  —  " 

"Never  mind  my  grandfather,"  said  the  vis- 
count, flourishing  his  hand  gayly.  "  I'm  my  own 
master.  Why,  Chadder,  you're  splendid.  You've 
put  me  on  the  right  track.  Don't  deny  it,"  — 
the  old  man  was  shaking  his  head,  — "  for  I 
swear  to  you  that  I'll  do  nothing  in  America  to 
make  you  ashamed  of  me.  I  know  I'm  hot- 
headed and  full  of  pride,  but  I  come  by  it 
honestly.  You  know  that,  Chadder.  But  that's 


24  EAGLE    BLOOD 

all  past  now,  and  some  day  Hugh  Dorsay  may 
surprise  the  man  who  knew  him  as  Lord  De- 
launay.  It's  like  a  play,  isn't  it?  —  but  it's 
true,  Chadder ;  I've  made  up  my  mind  (it  may 
astonish  you  to  know  that  I've  got  a  mind), 
and  I'll  start  to-morrow  for  New  York.  The 
steamer  train  leaves  Euston  station  at  noon. 
I  mean  every  word  I  say,  Chadder.  Hang  it, 
old  man,  be  my  friend !  —  say  that  you'll  stand 
by  me." 

There  was  a  ring  of  manly  sincerity  in  the 
voice  and  a  shining  enthusiasm  in  the  young 
face  that  stormed  the  prejudices  of  the  worldly- 
wise  veteran,  and  he  took  the  outstretched  hand 
with  quick  emotion. 

"So  I  will,  so  I  will,"  he  said;  "and  I'll  ad- 
vance you  whatever  money  may  be  necessary  for 
the  voyage.  Ah,  it's  nothing,  my  lord,  —  a  matter 
of  fifty  pounds.  I'll  send  it  to  your  lodgings  this 
afternoon,  with  a  letter  or  two  of  introduction." 

"You're  a  prince,  Chadder,  a  bally  prince!" 
exclaimed  the  youth,  gratefully;  "and  now  I'm 
oflf  to  make  my  arrangements.  I'll  see  you  at 
Euston  station  at  half-past  eleven  to-morrow. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  25 

Good-by,  Chadder.  You  see  I've  caught  the 
American  get-up-and-go  spirit  already.  Yes, 
siree,  by  gosh  !  " 

The  heavy  door  clashed  behind  him  as  the 
viscount  went  down  the  stairs  humming  a  tune. 
Turning  up  Fleet  Street,  he  made  his  way  to 
the  Strand  and  walked  briskly  westward.  His 
brain  was  in  a  whirl,  and  the  shuffling,  chatter- 
ing crowds  confused  him.  For  the  first  time 
in  his  life  he  had  been  suddenly  confronted 
with  the  pitiless,  practical  problems  of  life.  The 
great  multitude  that  moved  around  him  in  the 

D 

growing  fog  excited  his  interest.  How  did  they 
live,  these  teeming  millions  of  London  ?  And 
why  did  they  suffer  in  the  dirt  and  noise  of  the 
mighty  city  when  they,  too,  might  go  to  Amer- 
ica ?  New  thoughts,  new  sympathies,  arose  in 
him  as  he  realized  what  it  meant  to  be  alone 
in  such  a  place  without  money  or  friends.  The 
grimy  buildings  seemed  so  cold  and  inhospitable. 
A  ragged  beggar  jostled  him,  and  he  put  a 
shilling  in  the  outstretched  hand.  Then  he 
found  himself  wondering  why  he  had  done  it. 
An  hour  before  he  would  have  thrust  the  im- 


26  EAGLE    BLOOD 

pudent  mendicant  from  him  without  a  second 
thought. 

It  was  a  dream,  and  he  would  presently  wake 
up  and  find  himself  in  dear,  old,  warm-hearted 
London  again.  No,  it  was  all  true.  He  had 
promised  Chadder  to  go  to  America  and  begin 
life  over.  He  would  go. 

At  the  corner  of  Trafalgar  Square  he  stopped, 
undecided  where  to  go.  He  could  see  through 
the  mist  the  monstrous  heads  of  the  lions 
crouching  at  the  foot  of  Nelson's  monument, 
and  the  dim  figure  of  Gordon,  Bible  in  hand. 
The  bells  of  St.  Martin's  struck  the  hour,  and 
the  sound  of  the  Westminster  chimes  came 
shivering  up  Parliament  Street. 

"I'll  go  and  see  old  Muhlenberg,"  he  thought. 
"  Dear  old  tutor.  I  wonder  what  he'll  say." 

Ten  minutes  later  he  entered  a  neat  brick 
house  near  Berkley  Square  and  was  shown  into 
a  cosey  little  room  whose  walls  were  lined  with 
well-filled  bookshelves  and  hung  with  portraits 
of  well-known  men.  Sitting  before  an  open- 
grate  fire,  with  a  torn  manuscript  on  his  knees, 
was  Professor  Muhlenberg,  the  most  dis- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  27 

tinguished  scholar  of  Oxford ;  a  small  man, 
with  snow-white  hair,  close-cropped  side  whis- 
kers, and  clear,  merry  gray  eyes. 

"  Why,  Hugh ! "  cried  the  professor,  rising 
and  grasping  the  young  man's  hand ;  "  I'm  so 
glad  to  see  you,  my  boy.  Not  in  trouble 
again,  I  hope  ?  Ah,  you  scamp !  you  never 
come  to  see  me  unless  you're  in  a  scrape. 
How  is  Lord  Castlehurst  —  oh,  yes,  I  forgot, 
your  grandfather  hasn't  forgiven  you  for  that 
last  little  affair.  And  Mademoiselle  Ballafanti  ? 
I  saw  her  in  the  ballet  at  Covent  Garden  last 
week  —  such  eyes!  such  hair!  such  —  er  —  ah 
—  for  shame,  sir,  when  —  " 

"  I'm  through  with  all  that  now,"  said  the 
youth,  with  a  gesture  of  protest. 

"  Eh  ?  What  ?  "  exclaimed  the  professor, 
with  a  look  of  surprise. 

"  I'm   going    to  America,"  said    the  viscount. 

"  Why,  what  new  lark  is  this  ?  To  Amer- 
ica—  ha!  ha!"  and  the  old  man's  laughter 
rang  in  the  little  room.  "  Is  mademoiselle  to 
disport  her  charms  on  the  American  stage  ? " 

"  Professor,    I'm    a   ruined   man.     The   South 


28  EAGLE    BLOOD 

London  property  has  been  sold  by  the  cred- 
itors, and  I  haven't  a  penny  left.  I've  decided 
to  go  to  New  York.  There's  nothing  else 
to  do." 

The  venerable  face  became  instantly  serious. 
"  But  there's  South  Africa  or  India." 

"  They're  both  crowded  with  adventurers  and 
sharpers.  I'd  be  lost  there.  I'm  going  to 
see  what  I  can  do  in  a  white  man's  country." 

"  Good  !  "  said  the  professor.  "  I  like  the 
idea.  Really,  my  boy,"  —  and  the  old  scholar 
paced  the  room  with  his  hands  behind  his  back, 
his  brows  contracted,  and  his  fine,  thin  mouth 
drawn  down  at  the  corners,  —  "I  see  no  oppor- 
tunities for  an  impoverished  nobleman  in  Eng- 
land. The  Americans  are  driving  all  before 
them.  The  old  country  has  lost  the  knack  of 
success.  The  Americans  will  wear  themselves 
out  in  time,  for  they  have  not  yet  learned  the 
admirable  art  of  leisure  :  they  work  so  furiously 
that  they  don't  know  how  to  play.  But,  mean- 
while, England  feels  the  pressure  of  the  unequal 
competition.  Our  trade  and  industry  are  passing 
into  foreign  hands.  As  the  idle  aristocracy  of 


EAGLE    BLOOD  29 

England  becomes  poorer  and  poorer,  the  power 
of  money  in  society  becomes  more  apparent. 
Brewers,  tradesmen,  mere  hucksters,  have  thrust 
aside  the  old  nobility  —  and,  after  all,  why  not  ? 
They  have  done  something.  In  America  your 
title  —  " 

"  I'm  going  to  drop  my  title  there,"  said  the 
viscount.  "  Hang  it,  professor,  I  don't  propose 
to  be  laughed  at." 

The  old  man's  eyes  lit  with  quick  humor, 
and  he  shook  his  head. 

"  Americans  don't  laugh  at  titles,  Hugh,"  he 
said.  "  They  are  the  only  people  in  the  world 
who  really  revere  them.  A  young  man  of  your 
rank  and  ancestry  could  marry  the  richest  girl 
in  New  York  or  Chicago." 

"  That  isn't  in  my  plan,"  exclaimed  the  youth. 
"  I  will  take  my  mother's  name  and  make  my 
way  as  a  man,  without  any  false  pretences." 

"Bravo!"  shouted  the  professor,  and  he 
slapped  the  viscount's  shoulder.  "  Hugh  Dor- 
say  !  I  like  it.  I  knew  a  man  named  Stubbs " 
—  the  scholar's  face  puckered  into  a  smile  —  "a 
successful  ironmonger,  who  made  some  repairs 


30  EAGLE    BLOOD 

in  the  buttery  at  All  Souls.  When  I  told  him 
that  Stubbs  was  a  contraction  of  St.  Albans, 
and  that  he  had  as  much  right  to  the  name 
as  the  duke  himself,  what  do  you  think  he 
said  ?  f  I  don't  want  it,'  said  he,  '  because  the 
Stubbses  amount  to  somethink  '  —  ha  !  ha  !  " 
The  little  man  shook  with  merriment. 

"  I  don't  see  the  point,"  said  the  viscount, 
coldly. 

"  The  point,"  said  the  professor,  bluntly,  "  is 
that  the  men  of  your  family  have  been  relying 
on  the  deeds  of  their  ancestors.  They  have 
enjoyed  life  in  a  way,  but  each  generation  has 
been  weaker  than  the  preceding  one  —  necessi- 
tatis  inventa  sunt  antiquiora  quam  voluptis, — I  hope 
you  haven't  forgotten  your  Latin,  Hugh,  —  and 
if  you  go  to  New  York  in  the  right  spirit  you 
can  make  any  name  you  choose  to  bear  a  name 
that  stands  for  something  accomplished  in  the 
present." 

"  That's  my  idea  exactly." 

"  It's  a  good  one.  Remember  Carlyle's  jest 
about  a  naked  peer  addressing  a  naked  House 
of  Lords  —  you  see  the  whole  system  is  pre- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  31 

posterous  when  you  strip  it  of  wealth.  Go  to 
America,  my  boy,  and  God  prosper  you  !  I  have 
a  few  friends  there,  and  I  can  give  you  letters 
that  may  open  the  way  for  you.  Let  me 
see  —  " 

The  old  scholar  threw  his  head  back  and 
closed  his  eyes. 

"  Oh,  yes,  there's  David  Irkins,  proprietor  of 
the  New  York  Mail, — an  extraordinary  man,  sort 
of  international  proletarian,  who  cables  messages 
to  reigning  sovereigns  on  all  sorts  of  popular 
questions,  and  offers  to  print  their  answers  in 
his  newspaper.  He  never  gets  a  reply,  except 
from  some  little  prince  in  the  Balkans,  but  he 
keeps  right  on  bombarding  the  thrones  of  Eng- 
land, Germany,  Russia,  and  Austria,  and  prints 
every  message  he  sends  with  a  grand  flourish. 
Shrewd  fellow,  Irkins,  and  knows  the  weaknesses 
of  the  masses  —  works  himself  into  a  moral  rage 
and  weeps  in  public  over  the  grave  of  human 
liberty  whenever  the  opposition  party  is  successful 
at  the  polls.  He  was  my  pupil  for  a  year. 
Irkins  would  make  a  place  for  you  in  his 
office." 


32  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  But  he  mustn't  know  my  real  name,"  said 
the  viscount.  "  He  must  know  me  only  as 
Hugh  Dorsay." 

"  Then  there's  William  Remington,  the  mill- 
ionnaire  banker,"  continued  the  professor.  "A 
coarse,  harsh  man,  whose  word  is  law  to  some 
of  the  greatest  syndicates  in  America.  His  son 
was  educated  at  Oxford,  and  the  father  sent  me 
a  draft  for  two  hundred  pounds  and  a  letter 
of  thanks  when  the  boy  returned  home  with  a 
degree.  I  sent  the  draft  back.  I  believe  that 
Mr.  Remington  would  do  something  for  you. 

"  And  now,  Hugh,"  —  the  professor  placed 
his  hands  on  the  young  man's  shoulders  —  "  are 
you  sure  you  are  in  earnest  ?  Are  you  quite  cer- 
tain that  you  won't  change  your  mind  when  you 
see  Mademoiselle  Ballafanti's  pretty  face  again  ? 
Have  you  thought  of  what  it  means  to  leave  your 
native  country  and  go  among  strangers,  to  com- 
pete with  men  who  know  how  to  work,  and  will 
make  no  allowances  for  your  pride  and  your  lack 
of  experience  ? " 

"  I've  thought  it  all  over,"  said  the  viscount, 
gravely.  "  God  help  me  !  I'll  do  my  best ;  but  " 


EAGLE    BLOOD  33 

—  and  his  eyes  flashed  —  "  I'd  go,  even  if  I  knew 
I  should  never  come  back." 

"  Then  I'll  write  the  letters  now." 

Seating  himself  at  a  table,  the  professor  wrote 
two  notes  of  introduction  and  handed  them  to  his 
visitor. 

"  There  is  one  thing  you  must  never  forget  in 
America,"  said  the  scholar,  stroking  his  chin 
thoughtfully  and  looking  into  the  pink  and  violet 
flames  that  flickered  in  the  grate.  "  Be  orthodox. 
Don't  undertake  to  reform  the  country.  When- 
ever you  are  consumed  by  a  desire  to  remodel  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  United  States,  sit 
down  and  remember  the  important  fact  that  there 
are  seventy  million  Americans  and  only  one  Hugh 
Dorsay.  That  will  save  you  a  lot  of  trouble,  my 
boy.  When  you  meet  an  American  whose  refor- 
mation becomes  a  source  of  serious  anxiety  to 
you,  why  then  you  must  —  " 

"Yes." 

"  Marry  her." 

"  Oh,  pshaw  !  " 

"  But  don't  fall  in  love  with  the  first  beautiful 
face  you  see.  You  may  find  a  still  more  beautiful 


34  EAGLE    BLOOD 

one  with  a  fortune  to  match  it.  At  your  age,  who 
knows  what  the  future  holds  ?  It  isn't  necessary 
to  be  sordid  or  vulpine,  Hugh,  but  if  kind  Heaven 
leads  a  well-born  young  Englishman  straight  to 
the  feet  of  a  rich  American  girl,  why  should  he 
not  fulfil  his  destiny  and  make  an  English- 
woman of  her  ?  In  other  words,  my  boy,  don't 
be  a  fool." 

"I'll  think  of  it,"  said  the  viscount,  as  he  rose 
to  go.  "  Upon  my  word,  I've  heard  more  matri- 
monial advice  to-day  than  I  bargained  for.  I 
don't  know  why  it  is  that  every  time  an  unmarried 
Englishman  proposes  to  go  to  America,  he  is 
solemnly  lectured  on  the  subject  of  matrimony." 

"  You  don't  ?  —  ha  !  ha  !  "  cried  the  professor  ; 
"  then  you  haven't  seen  many  American  girls. 
The  danger  is,  not  that  you'll  marry  an  American, 
but  that  you'll  marry  the  first  one  you  meet." 

"  Not  I.  Why,  professor,  they  are  simply 
skilful  flirts,  —  but  there,  we've  talked  enough  ; 
and  now  good-by,  dear  old  friend.  I'll  write  to 
you  and  tell  how  I'm  getting  on.  I  may  make 
a  mess  of  it,  but  I'll  do  nothing  to  make 
you  ashamed  of  me." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  35 

"  Of  course  you  won't,  Hugh,"  said  the  pro- 
fessor, heartily.  "  Your  blood  and  breeding  ought 
to  keep  you  honest,  even  if  you  had  no  innate 
qualities  of  your  own.  Remember  that  character 
counts  for  more  than  anything  else.  Integer  vit<e 
scelerisque  purus,  and  all  the  rest  of  it,  eh  ?  A 
clean  life,  a  serious  purpose,  and  industry  —  and 
who  can  tell  but  that  in  the  free  air  and  manly 
competition  of  America,  some  spark  that  you 
have  inherited  from  the  great  knight  whose  blood 
runs  in  your  veins,  may  catch  fire  ?  " 

"  Good-by,  professor." 

"  Good-by,  my  son.     God  prosper  you  !  " 

Thus  it  was  that  the  Viscount  Delaunay,  heir 
to  the  bankrupt  Earl  of  Castlehurst,  found  him- 
self in  a  cab,  under  a  mountain  of  trunks  crowned 
by  a  pea-green  tin  bath-tub,  on  his  way  to  Euston 
station  on  Saturday  morning,  his  heart  beating 
like  a  trip-hammer,  and  his  mind  filled  with  a 
confused  sense  of  the  strangeness  of  his  adventure. 
The  smell  of  the  violets  in  his  buttonhole 
oppressed  him.  The  dense  fog  invaded  his  very 
brain. 

Then,  as  the  cab  rattled  along  Victoria  Street, 


36  EAGLE    BLOOD 

he  caught  sight  of  the  massive  Gothic  masonry  of 
Westminster  Abbey,  and  impulsively  calling  to 
the  driver  to  halt,  he  stepped  out  and  walked 
into  the  penumbra  of  the  mighty  interior. 

"  Jolly  old  place,"  he  murmured,  "  nothing  like 
it  in  America." 

As  he  walked  between  the  monuments  of  dead 
heroes  and  sages  of  a  thousand  years  of  British 
conquest,  a  realization  of  what  he  was  leaving 
behind  him  seized  upon  his  mind.  For  the  first 
time  he  understood  the  meaning  of  his  nationality, 
and  the  Englishman  rose  within  him.  The  vener- 
able walls  seemed  to  speak  to  his  soul.  Many  a 
time  he  had  strolled  through  the  old  abbey,  amused 
by  the  eager  enthusiasm  of  wandering  strangers,  but 
now  the  place  seemed  filled  with  ghostly  voices 
proclaiming  the  greatness  of  his  race.  He  found 
himself  reading  the  inscriptions  and  wondering 
that  he  had  never  read  them  before.  The  shield 
and  saddle  of  Henry  V  above  the  altar  fascinated 
him.  The  gleaming  white  memorials  in  the 
Poet's  Corner  whispered  in  the  shadows.  On  every 
side  he  saw  the  sculptured  story  of  his  ancestors 
—  warriors,  statesmen,  men  of  might  and  renown. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  37 

A  sudden  sense  of  weakness  seized  him. 
How  strong  and  majestic  it  all  seemed!  How 
enduring,  how  full  of  power  and  victory  !  Why 
should  he  have  to  leave  England,  to  go  forth 
from  the  home  of  his  people  a  wastrel  and  way- 
farer ? 

And  when  at  last  he  stood  in  the  chapel  of 
Henry  VII,  and  looked  upon  the  dusty  banner 
of  his  own  house  hanging  over  the  carved  stalls 
of  the  knights,  his  heart  cried  out  in  agony. 
The  great  organ  of  the  abbey  broke  the  silence, 
and  through  the  vast  hall  trembled  that  sweetest 
of  all  hymns  :  — 

"Lead,  kindly  Light,  amid  the  encircling  gloom, 

Lead  Thou  me  on  ! 

The  night  is  dark,  and  I  am  far  from  home, 
Lead  Thou  me  on  !  " 

"  They  were  great  men,"  said  a  harsh  voice. 
"  Not  like  the  Englishmen  of  to-day.  Fighters, 
pushers,  strong  men  !  " 

Turning,  the  viscount  saw  a  squat,  broad- 
shouldered  old  man,  with  hard,  strongly  marked 
features,  accompanied  by  the  smug,  black-robed 
verger  of  the  abbey.  Beside  him  stood  a  tall 


38  EAGLE    BLOOD 

girl  reading  a  red-covered  guide-book.  As  the 
stranger  pointed  to  the  row  of  faded  banners, 
the  girl  looked  up  with  a  smile.  Never  had  the 
young  Englishman  seen  a  more  beautiful  face. 
The  broad,  low  brow,  from  which  the  pale,  yellow 
hair  waved  backward ;  the  perfect  oval  of  the 
cheeks,  the  tenderly  curved  mouth,  the  delicately 
modelled  chin,  the  large,  gray  eyes,  the  graceful, 
slim  neck,  the  almost  childlike  expression  of  sen- 
timental wonder  as  she  looked  at  the  knightly 
emblems,  compelled  his  eyes.  He  watched  her 
with  a  secret  thrill  of  pleasure  until  she  observed 
his  too  frank  glance  and  the  color  rose  to  her 

fair  countenance.     He  felt  an  almost  irresistible 
/ 

desire  to  speak  to  her,  to  tell  her  what  that  place 
meant  to  him. 

"  All  Americans  like  this  'all,"  said  the  verger. 
"  Ain't  anything  of  the  kind  in  their  own  country  ; 
'ave  to  come  over  'ere,  sir." 

"Yes,"  said  the  old  man,  with  a  stiff  nod, 
"we  come  over  here,  and  we  go  back  satisfied 
with  ourselves.  These  men  spent  their  lives 
killing  human  beings,  while  we  are  learning  how 
to  feed  the  world.  They  were  instruments  of 


EAGLE    BLOOD  39 

death  ;  we  are  instruments  of  life.  Eh,  Fanny  ? 
Not  bad  for  me,  daughter." 

"  I  think  it's  simply  divine,"  said  the  girl, 
lifting  her  radiant  eyes  to  the  dim  banners  again. 
"Just  think  of  the  splendid  titles  represented 
there." 

"  You  can  buy  them  with  cash,  if  you  have 
enough,"  growled  the  American.  "  There's 
hardly  a  title  in  England  that  isn't  for  sale,  my 
girl." 

"  Oh,  hush,  father  !  "  cried  the  girl,  with  a  con- 
fused glance  at  the  young  Englishman,  "  we  are 
being  overheard." 

The  old  man  turned  toward  the  viscount  and 
hesitated. 

"  I  trust  that  I've  said  nothing  to  offend  you, 
sir,"  he  ventured. 

"  Certainly  not,"  said  the  young  man,  quietly. 
"  I'm  afraid  there's  more  truth  in  what  you  say 
than  most  good  Englishmen  like  to  admit." 

The  solemn  verger  moved  out  of  the  hall  and 
the  Americans  followed  him.  Then  the  viscount 
made  his  way  to  the  street,  and  ordered  the  im- 
patient cabman  to  hurry  his  horse. 


4o  EAGLE    BLOOD 

When  he  reached  Euston  station  he  found 
Mr.  Chadder,  soberly  arrayed  in  frock  coat,  tall 
hat,  austere  black  cravat,  and  black  gloves,  in  the 
midst  of  a  babbling,  hand-shaking,  excited  crowd. 
The  steamer  train  wa:s  about  to  start,  and  the 
guards  were  closing  the  doors  of  the  cars  and 
frantically  urging  loitering  passengers  to  embark. 
A  bell  was  ringing  violently,  and  the  locomotive 
whistle  shrieked  a  warning. 

He  entered  a  car,  and,  while  the  porter  piled 
his  bags  and  bundles  on  the  seat  beside  him,  he 
leaned  out  of  the  window  and  talked  with  the 
solicitor. 

"  It  was  awfully  good  of  you,  Chadder,"  he 
said.  "  They  say  an  Englishman  can't  move 
without  having  his  solicitor  beside  him ;  but 
you've  been  a  friend,  Chadder,  and  I  won't  forget 
it.  I'll  pay  you  back  the  money  —  " 

"  Don't  mention  it,  my  lord,"  said  Mr.  Chad- 
der, snuffling  and  showing  signs  of  moisture  in 
his  eyes.  "  God  bless  and  protect  you,  sir,  and 
keep  you  a  good,  true  Englishman." 

"  Here,"  said  the  young  man,  drawing  a  curi- 
ously carved  gold  ring  from  his  ringer ;  "  this  was 


EAGLE    BLOOD  41 

given  to  the  first  Earl  of  Castlehurst,  at  Jerusa- 
lem, by  the  great  knight  Tancred.  Take  it  as  a 
keepsake,  Chadder." 

"No,  no!"  cried  Mr.  Chadder.  "It's  too 
much.  Take  it  with  you." 

"  Stand  clear ! "  screamed  the  guard,  as  the 
train  began  to  move. 

"  Take  it,  Chadder,"  urged  the  youth,  stretch- 
ing his  hand  toward  him.  "  It's  all  I've  got 
to  give  you." 

"  Stand  clear,  there  !  "  commanded  the  guard. 

"Take  it,  or  I'll  throw  it." 

The  bell  rang  wildly,  and  the  locomotive 
panted.  The  wheels  whined  and  the  cars 
creaked  and  clanked  as  the  train  rolled  slowly 
onward. 

With  a  swift  motion  the  viscount  flung  the 
ring  at  Mr.  Chadder.  The  little  circle  tinkled 
as  it  struck  the  ground  and  ran  flashing  along 
the  level  surface.  And  as  the  exile  looked  back 
he  saw  the  burly  solicitor  stoop  over  the  edge 
of  the  platform  and  search  beside  the  shining 
steel  rail  of  the  track. 


CHAPTER   II 

BY  dint  of  hard  puffing,  Mr.  Martin  had 
surrounded  his  kindly  old  head  with  good  to- 
bacco smoke,  and  his  pencil  scratched  comfortably 
along  under  the  fragrant  cloud.  An  occasional 
grunt  and  contraction  of  the  brows  indicated  the 
dissatisfaction  of  the  veteran  journalist  with  his 
work.  Now  and  then  he  screwed  his  mouth 
sidewise,  ran  his  hand  through  his  snowy  hair, 
and  twisted  his  feet  nervously  about  the  legs 
of  his  chair,  as  a  hard  sentence  halted  him. 

Presently  he  leaned  back  and  glanced  about 
the  big  room  with  its  rows  of  desks  and  dirty 
white  pillars.  Here  and  there  the  reporters 
toiled  over  their  notes,  and  in  a  distant  corner, 
behind  an  iron  railing,  sat  the  city  editor  of  the 
New  York  Mail,  —  a  little,  red-faced,  erect  man, 
at  the  sound  of  whose  awful  voice  the  tousle- 
headed  office-boy  started  convulsively.  A  slant- 

42 


EAGLE    BLOOD  43 

ing  wooden  structure  bearing  files  of  newspapers 
ran  along  one  side  of  the  room.  The  windows 
on  the  other  side  looked  out  over  Broadway, 
and  through  one  of  them  could  be  seen  the 
dingy  brown  fa9ade  of  a  church  and  the  statue  of 
St.  Paul,  an  open  Bible  in  one  hand,  a  naked 
sword  in  the  other. 

At  the  desk  next  to  Mr.  Martin's  sat  a  tall, 
slender  young  man,  whose  thin,  white  face,  flaxen 
hair,  and  mild  blue  eyes  seemed  to  attract  the 
old  man's  attention.  In  spite  of  his  straight 
back  and  graceful  bearing,  there  was  something 
in  the  flat  breast  and  almost  feminine  head  and 
neck  that  indicated  physical  weakness.  His 
brow  and  nose  had  the  lines  of  a  Greek  master- 
piece, his  pale  temples  were  blue-veined,  but 
his  mouth  was  soft  and  characterless. 

As  the  young  man  raised  his  eyes  from  his 
desk  and  pressed  his  pencil  thoughtfully  against 
his  lips,  he  observed  the  glance  of  the  veteran 
and  smiled  wearily. 

Mr.  Martin  winked  solemnly.  It  was  Mr. 
Martin's  favorite  signal  of  good  nature. 

"  Hard  work,  eh  ?  " 


44  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  I'm  not  up  to  it  yet,  I'm  afraid,"  said  the 
young  man.  "  I  don't  know  my  way  about." 

"  Let's  see  what  you've  written,"  said  Mr. 
Martin,  moving  to  the  other  desk  and  bending 
over,  with  an  air  of  friendly  interest. 

"Your  style's  too  lean  —  shows  the  ribs,"  he 
muttered  as  he  read  the  white  sheets.  "  Irkins 
likes  plenty  of  color  and  dash.  You  must  put 
in  more  ginger  —  " 

"More  —  ?" 

"  Ginger,  my  son.  You're  not  writing  for 
an  encyclopaedia.  Just  tear  the  words  up  by  the 
roots,  with  the  earth  sticking  to  them.  M'm, 
m'm,  oh,  this  will  never  do  —  there  are  no 
'  tram  cars  '  in  New  York;  and  —  gee  whilikins  ! 
—  *  the  barman  in  Alderman  Murphy's  public 
house — '  Ha !  ha !  that's  great !  Ha!  ha!  Why, 
for  heaven's  sake,  what's  that  ?  " 

The  young  man  had  nervously  fastened  a 
single  eyeglass  in  front  of  his  right  eye. 

"  My  monocle." 

"  Don't  do  it,  my  son,"  said  the  old  man, 
gently  patting  him  on  the  shoulder.  "  When 
you  have  to  use  windows  on  your  face,  use  two. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  45 

You  mustn't  mind  advice  from  an  old-timer  like 
me.  A  dandy  has  no  place  in  an  American 
newspaper  office ;  and  a  man  who  looks  at  things 
with  one  eye  when  God  has  given  him  two, 
runs  the  risk  of  being  taken  for  a  fool  —  there 
now,  shake  hands ;  I  didn't  mean  to  say  it  just 
that  way.  I'm  '  Bob '  Martin,  my  son,  old 
enough  to  be  your  grandfather." 

"  I'm  Hugh  Dorsay,"  said  the  young  man, 
allowing  the  offending  monocle  to  drop  from  his 
eye  and  grasping  the  outstretched  hand  with  a 
look  of  relief. 

"  Been  long  in  New  York  ?  " 

"Just  a  week." 

Mr.  Martin  drew  his  chair  over  and  sat  down 
beside  Hugh.  Little  by  little  he  learned  of  the 
stranger's  loneliness  in  the  great  city,  his  desire  to 
win  his  way  by  hard  work,  and  his  absolute  lack 
of  practical  experience.  The  old  man's  heart 
went  out  to  the  friendless  youth,  and  he  uttered 
many  a  quaint  saying  of  wisdom  as  the  conversa- 
tion became  more  familiar. 

"  Somehow  I  feel  that  I  shall  always  be  a 
foreigner  in  America,"  said  Hugh.  "  We 


46  EAGLE    BLOOD 

speak  the  same  language,  but  the  blood  doesn't 
mix." 

"  There  you're  wrong,  my  son,"  said  the  vet- 
eran. "  The  trouble  with  every  Englishman  who 
comes  here  is  that  he  looks  on  an  American  as  a 
sort  of  second-hand  Britisher.  He  doesn't  know 
the  difference  between  lion  blood  and  eagle  blood. 
Now,  when  a  lion  eats  an  eagle,  the  eagle  becomes 
a  lion  ;  and,  likewise,  when  an  eagle  eats  a  lion,  the 
lion  becomes  an  eagle.  The  blood'll  mix  all 
right;  it  all  depends  on  which  stomach  does  the 
mixing.  Do  you  catch  the  idea  ?  " 

"  You  mean  that  I  must  become  an  American  ?" 

"  That's  the  only  kind  of  an  Anglo-American 
alliance  you'll  ever  live  to  see,  my  son.  You  can 
wear  feathers  or  fur,  but  you  can't  wear  both  at 
the  same  time." 

"  But  we  Anglo-Saxons  have  a  common  history, 
Mr.  Martin.  That  ought  to  make  it  easier  for 
us  to  understand  each  other  and  be  good  friends." 

"  We  Anglo-Saxons  ?  Why,  the  history  of 
the  people  you  are  living  among  is  the  history 
of  England,  of  Ireland,  of  Germany,  of  Austria, 
of  Italy,  of  Poland  and  Russia  and  Scandinavia 


EAGLE    BLOOD  47 

and  Africa ;  our  blood  is  drawn  from  every 
country.  We  are  the  descendants  of  the  whole 
world.  We  Anglo-Saxons  ?  —  there,  there,  my 
son,  I  always  slop  over  when  I  get  on  that 
subject." 

The  blood  had  risen  to  the  old  man's  head,  and 
his  deep  gray  eyes  sparkled  as  he  shook  Hugh's 
hand  again. 

"  Where  are  you  stopping,  Mr.  Dorsay  ? "  he 
said. 

"  I  live  in  the  Waldorf-Astoria.  Got  a  little 
room  near  the  roof." 

"  That's  bad.  You'd  better  get  into  some 
good,  home-like  place,  among  plain  people  who'll 
take  an  interest  in  you.  By  thunder  !  " —  the 
gray  eyes  kindled  with  a  swift  expression  of  kind- 
ness—  "come  out  to  my  place  and  I'll  see  if  we 
can't  find  you  a  home  somewhere  near.  I  have  a 
mighty  comfortable  little  house  on  Long  Island 
Sound,  near  New  Rochelle.  Lots  of  trees  and 
rocks  and  good  salt  water.  I  believe  you'd  like 
it  there.  It's  a  quiet  spot,  right  out  in  the  open, 
and  only  half  an  hour  from  the  city." 

"  I'd  like  to  go,"  said  Hugh,  his  heart  warming 


48  EAGLE    BLOOD 

to  the  new-found  friend.  "New  York  is  so  noisy, 
everybody  seems  so  busy,  the  people  in  the 
streets  walk  so  fast  —  it  is  all  so  confusing  and  so 
tiresome." 

"  You'll  see  a  real  American  girl,  too." 

"  Does  she  live  with  you  ?  " 

"  My  daughter,"  said  Mr.  Martin,  with  a  look 
of  pride  and  tenderness.  "  She's  all  I  have  now." 

Before  the  day  was  done,  Hugh  had  been 
introduced  to  ten  or  twelve  members  of  the  Mail 
staff  by  Mr.  Martin.  There  was  "  Jim  "  Smiley, 
a  jaunty  young  man,  with  a  curling  black  mus- 
tache, immense  hooked  nose,  and  keen  dark  eyes. 
His  crimson  cravat,  speckled  waistcoat,  and 
patent-leather  shoes  were  matched  by  the  gold- 
headed  cane  which  lay  across  the  desk.  "  He's 
known  as  the  American  Dickens,"  whispered  the 
old  man.  Then  there  was  Mr.  Barrocks,  the 
political  reporter,  a  huge  blond  man,  with  a  bald 
head,  who  smoked  cigarettes  incessantly  ;  General 
Casey,  an  Irish  patriot,  who  had  served  in  a  South 
American  army  and  indignantly  resigned  his  com- 
mand because  the  dusky  President  had  ordered 
him  to  kill  and  cook  a  chicken  for  him  ;  Mr. 


EAGLE   BLOOD  49 

Tobin,  another  Irish  patriot,  who  suspected  that 
General  Casey  was  a  British  informer  and  stared 
fiercely  at  Hugh  when  he  noticed  his  English 
accent;  Mr.  Carmer,  the  "news  hustler,"  a  lame 
man  with  curiously  beautiful  forehead,  hawk  nose, 
and  retreating  chin ;  and  Mr.  Addison,  the 
"  society  reporter,"  a  jolly  little  fat  man,  who 
lisped,  and  made  jokes  that  nobody  laughed  at 
but  himself. 

It  was  all  strange  and  surprising  to  the  young 
aristocrat.  None  of  the  staff  seemed  to  have  the 
slightest  personal  interest  in  the  matters  they 
wrote  of,  save  to  make  a  "  good  story."  A  spirit 
of  earnestness  pervaded  the  place,  and  sometimes 
enthusiasm  ran  high,  but  nobody  appeared  to 
have  any  sense  of  public  responsibility.  Their 
business  was  to  write  the  daily  history  of  the 
community  in  the  most  interesting  manner,  and 
to  "  beat  "  the  other  newspapers.  Private  opinion 
seemed  to  have  disappeared  in  the  stern  drill  of 
editorial  discipline. 

He  was  astonished  to  learn  that  the  modern 
news-hunter  was  as  well  fed,  well  dressed,  and 
conventional  in  his  life  as  other  men  —  as  accurate, 


50  EAGLE    BLOOD 

industrious,  and  orthodox  as  the  million  common- 
place men  who  envied  him  his  imaginary  frolics 
in  a  non-existent  Arcadia.  The  life  was  disgust- 
ingly respectable  and  regular.  There  were  no 
enchanting  quips  and  witticisms,  no  scholarly  and 
profound  discussions  of  life,  no  genius  starving 
in  garrets,  no  picturesque  creditors  haunting 
shadowy  stairways,  and  no  ragged  martyrs  to 
conscience. 

Hugh  won  his  footing  in  this  fiercely  com- 
petitive atmosphere  slowly  and  with  many  re- 
buffs. His  amiable  manners  made  up  in  part 
for  ignorance  of  his  surroundings.  The  spon- 
taneous and  hearty  friendship  of  Mr.  Martin 
did  much  to  lessen  the  rigors  and  anxieties  of 
his  position ;  but  his  sensitive  nature  received 
many  shocks.  He  discovered  that  the  light- 
hearted  Bohemians  to  be  found  on  the  outer 
edges  of  newspaper  life  were  mere  vagabonds, 
plucking  the  fragments  of  livelihood  from  journal- 
ism, but  playing  no  part  in  it,  moral  invalids  and 
incompetents.  On  the  other  hand,  the  few  grave 
men  who  sat  editorially  close  to  the  heart  of  things 
and  commanded  the  opinions  and  passions  of 


EAGLE    BLOOD  51 

the  multitude  were  removed  far  beyond  the 
rim  of  his  grinding  routine.  He  heard  of  them, 
but  he  never  saw  them. 

Late  one  afternoon  Hugh  was  surprised  to 
receive  instructions  to  report  in  person  to  Mr. 
Irkins,  the  proprietor,  in  the  great  man's  private 
office  on  the  floor  below.  His  first  effort  to  see 
Mr.  Irkins  had  been  a  failure.  In  answer  to  the 
letter  of  introduction  which  Hugh  delivered  to 
the  attendant,  the  proprietor  of  the  Mail  sent 
word  that  he  should  "  report  to  the  city  editor." 

As  he  entered  the  little  room,  which  was 
cluttered  with  newspapers,  books,  maps,  and 
curious  trophies  from  foreign  countries,  scattered 
about  on  tables  and  chairs  or  heaped  on  the  floor 
in  random  confusion,  he  saw  a  tall,  gaunt  man, 
whose  pallid  face  contrasted  strangely  with  his 
pointed  red  beard  and  brilliant  brown  eyes.  It 
was  a  mediaeval  visage,  hollow-cheeked,  bony, 
and  fierce.  The  lank,  loose  figure  sprawled  in  a 
cushioned  chair,  one  leg  thrown  over  the  side 
arm.  Notwithstanding  the  careless  attitude, 
there  was  something  commanding  in  the  coun- 
tenance, a  suggestion  of  savage  power  and  alert- 


52  EAGLE    BLOOD 

ness.  A  lock  of  coarse  hair  hung  satyr-like  over 
the  slanting  white  forehead,  and  two  deep  wrinkles 
between  the  bristling,  tawny  eyebrows  indicated 
the  habit  of  mental  concentration. 

The  master  of  modern  journalism  sat  up 
straight  and  nodded  a  welcome  to  the  slim  young 
recruit. 

"  Come  right  in,  Mr.  Dorsay,"  he  said,  in  a 
clear,  musical  voice,  with  a  wave  of  his  hand. 
"  I  haven't  had  a  chance  to  see  you  since  I  got 
Professor  Muhlenberg's  letter.  I  hope  they 
are  treating  you  well  upstairs." 

The  great  brown  eyes  seemed  to  penetrate 
Hugh's  brain.  He  had  never  before  encountered 
such  an  intense  glance.  It  was  like  looking  into 
the  eyes  of  some  wild  animal. 

"  If  I  could  have  something  more  serious  to 
do,"  said  Hugh.  "  It's  very  interesting,  I'm 
sure,  but  I'd  rather  try  editorial  writing." 

"  Now,  Mr.  Dorsay,  don't  begin  by  being 
inspired,"  said  Mr.  Irkins,  with  a  frown. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,  I  don't  quite 
understand." 

"The  inspired  man" — the  brown  eyes  seemed 


EAGLE    BLOOD  53 

to  grow  black  — "  knows  it  all  at  the  beginning. 
A  man  who  knows  everything  has  nothing 
more  to  learn.  I  got  that  idea  first  from  old 
Muhlenberg  at  Oxford.  The  world  has  taught 
me  the  truth  of  it  since.  Don't,  don't,  what- 
ever you  do,  don't  be  inspired.  Don't  write 
your  opinions  when  you  have  no  opinions. 
Don't  —  but  really,  Mr.  Dorsay,  all  I  mean  is 
that  you  must  learn  something  about  this  coun- 
try as  a  news-gatherer  before  you  can  hope  to 
rise  to  the  dignity  of  an  editorial  writer.  A 
man  may  be  born  a  reporter,  but  an  editorial 
writer  is  a  slow  growth." 

Hugh  moved  restlessly  in  his  seat.  He  felt 
uncomfortable  and  embarrassed  in  the  presence 
of  the  glowering  eyes.  Everybody  in  New 
York  thundered  advice  at  him.  It  seemed  to 
be  an  American  habit.  His  individuality  was 
beaten  down  by  the  force  of  opinion  that  rode 
rough-shod  over  his  inexperience  and  moral 
adolescence.  It  was  a  new  and  painful  contact 
with  the  world. 

"  Perhaps  I  have  mistaken  my  calling,  Mr. 
Irkins,"  he  began,  with  a  show  of  emotion, 


54  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  and  if  you  think  that  I  should  withdraw 
from  journalism  —  " 

"Nonsense,"  said  Mr.  Irkins.  "You  are  too 
sensitive  altogether.  You  will  get  over  that. 
Journalism  will  knock  the  opinions  out  of  you, 
unless  you  have  opinions  that  can't  be  knocked 
out.  It  all  depends  on  the  sort  of  stuff  you 
are  made  of.  Now,  I  have  a  very  important 
matter  to  place  in  your  hands.  I  want  you  to 
see  William  Remington,  who  has  just  returned 
from  England,  where  he  has  been  organizing  a 
sort  of  international  leather  syndicate.  It  is  a 
part  of  the  system  which  is  breaking  down 
British  trade  and  extending  our  own.  Get  all 
you  can  from  him.  We  are  on  the  verge  of  a 
great  industrial  and  commercial  revolution,  and 
the  great  captains  of  industry  developed  in  the 
United  States  will  soon  conquer  "England.  I 
want  you  to  bring  that  fact  out  strongly  in  your 
article.  It  will  appeal  to  the  pride  of  the  public." 

"  But  there  is  a  very  cruel  side  to  the 
story,"  said  Hugh,  growing  paler.  "  There  is 
the  ruin  of  thousands  of  English  homes,  the 
sufferings  of  women  and  children  —  " 


EAGLE    BLOOD  55 

"  Splendid !  "  cried  Mr.  Irkins,  with  a  radiant 
smile  of  admiration.  "  You  are  a  born  news- 
paper man.  You  have  the  imagination  that 
sees  the  inside  as  well  as  the  outside  of  a  fact. 
Splendid!  splendid!"  —  the  eyes  shone  with 
pleasure.  "  It  will  make  a  great  story.  Bring 
out  the  human  side  of  it.  Moral  sentiment  is 
the  secret  of  good  writing.  After  you  get  the 
facts  from  Remington,  describe  an  imaginary 
Englishman  driven  from  home  by  the  Amer- 
ican trusts.  Why,  Mr.  Dorsay,  it's  a  great 
opportunity.  You  ought  to  be  able  to  paint 
the  picture  to  the  very  life  —  a  titled  English 
swell,  with  an  ancestry  a  mile  long,  forced 
actually  to  work  for  his  living." 

The  idea  seemed  to  please  the  proprietor  of 
the  Mail,  and  a  sudden  fit  of  laughter  convulsed 
the  gaunt  figure. 

"  And  if  I  were  such  an  Englishman,"  said 
Hugh,  controlling  his  desire  to  seize  the  red 
beard  and  smite  the  bony  face,  "  would  you 
consider  it  a  laughing  matter  ?  " 

The  agony  of  his  position  was  almost  unbear- 
able. He  dug  his  nails  into  the  palms  of  his 


56  EAGLE    BLOOD 

hands  in  the  effort  to  hide  his  pain.  He  felt 
the  blood  of  his  knightly  forbears  leaping  in 
his  heart.  But  the  power  of  the  brown  eyes 
that  mocked  his  pride  imbued  him  with  a  feel- 
ing of  lonely  helplessness. 

"If  you  felt  like  writing  your  own  funeral, 
I  should  call  you  a  man  of  wit,  with  a  sense 
of  proportion,  —  something  that  God  has  not 
given  to  every  Englishman."  The  terrible  eyes 
were  reading  his  soul  again.  "  And  now,  Mr. 
Dorsay,  if  you'll  excuse  me, —  I'm  a  busy  man, 
you  .know,  —  some  night  I'll  have  you  up  to 
dinner  and  we'll  talk  about  old  Muhlenberg 
and  dear  old  stupid  London." 

Hugh  rose  and  left  the  room.  His  first  con- 
tact with  the  omnipotent  irreverence  of  Amer- 
ican journalism  had  shattered  his  enthusiasm. 
It  was  true  that  Mr.  Irkins  could  not  suspect 
that  he  was  talking  to  an  English  nobleman 
reduced  to  beggary  by  the  merciless  power  of 
which  he  had  boasted.  That  secret  was  safe 
in  the  keeping  of  his  London  solicitor.  But 
how  would  it  be  possible  for  him  to  endure 
the  bitter  humiliations  of  life  in  these  new 


EAGLE    BLOOD  57 

conditions  ?  Heretofore  he  had  thought  little 
about  his  nationality.  England  had  been  to 
him  the  centre  of  the  world,  the  citadel  of 
civilization,  the  home  of  the  all-conquering 
Anglo-Saxon.  Her  enemies  were  men  of  other 
blood  and  other  speech,  trained  to  hatred  by 
centuries  of  war.  She  had  given  birth  to 
nations  beyond  the  seas,  —  Australia,  Canada, 
and  the  United  States ;  to  his  mind  they  had 
been  alike  in  a  common,  Anglo-Saxon  senti- 
ment, uncouth  and  raw  compared  with  the 
motherland,  but  united  by  ties  of  kinship  and 
a  thousand  similarities  of  thought  and  custom. 
He  had  judged  the  American  people  by  the 
few  Americans  he  had  seen  in  London,  and 
secretly  despised  them  for  grovelling  before  the 
things  they  pretended  to  hate  at  home. 

But  the  America  that  looked  at  him  through 
the  eyes  of  David  Irkins  was  a  devouring  mon- 
ster of  energy  and  audacity  that  gloated  over  his 
weakness  and  challenged  his  breeding.  His 
English  blood  grew  hot  within  him.  He  felt  a 
deep  longing  for  power  to  retaliate  upon  these 
haughty  vulgarians,  who  trampled  down  the  most 


58  EAGLE    BLOOD 

sacred  traditions  of  other  people,  loud-voiced, 
coarse,  and  masterful. 

Then  he  remembered  that  he  was  alone  and 
unknown  in  the  metropolis  of  a  great  continent, 
and  that  he  must  either  announce  himself  as  the 
Viscount  Delaunay,  and  take  up  a  life  of  hope- 
less sham,  or  bend  himself  to  the  forces  that 
environed  him  in  New  York. 

As  he  left  the  office  the  lights  were  twinkling 
in  Broadway  and  thousands  of  quick-walking 
men  moved  uptown  in  the  early  twilight.  Look- 
ing upward  he  saw  the  rusty,  brown  spire  of  St. 
Paul's  chapel,  a  star  sparkling  through  the 
branches  of  the  graveyard  trees,  and  the  stern 
figure  of  St.  Paul. 

He  went  with  the  crowd  and  was  overwhelmed 
by  a  sense  of  the  mighty  power  that  swept  him 
along,  jostling,  jamming,  but  never  halting.  It 
was  the  vast  strength  that  had  been  slowly  gath- 
ering for  a  hundred  years,  suddenly  stretching 
forth  its  arms  to  the  corners  of  the  earth.  The 
towering  buildings  emblazoned  with  strangely  for- 
eign names,  the  swift,  clanging  electric  street 
cars,  the  restless  stream  of  tense  faces,  the  nerve- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  59 

exciting  movement  of  the  multitude,  the  feeling 
of  ceaseless  effort  that  brooded  in  the  noise,  filled 
him  with  an  odd  terror.  He  remembered  the 
picture  of  the  first  Earl  of  Castlehurst,  in  the 
great  hall  of  Battlecragie,  a  heavy-limbed,  fierce 
giant,  with  yellow  hair  and  savage  blue  eyes,  that 
shone  like  the  edge  of  his  ponderous  axe,  a  tram- 
pier  of  men  and  nations,  fearless  and  intolerant  of 
opposition.  The  spirit  of  his  rough  ancestor 
«eemed  to  walk  abroad  in  that  pouring  Broadway 
multitude. 

But  the  signs  on  the  buildings  amazed  him. 
Jews  from  Germany,  Jews  from  Poland,  Jews 
from  Portugal,  Jews  from  Palestine,  Jews  from 
every  tribe  of  the  wonderful  race  —  these  were 
the  impregnable  tenants  of  that  majestic  highway 
of  wealth.  The  pride  and  power  of  renascent 
Israel  spoke  from  every  window  and  doorway. 
A  man  of  Hugh's  blood  had  reigned  in  old  Jeru- 
salem, but  Godfrey  de  Bouillon  himself  might 
ride  down  Broadway  now  and  find  the  reassem- 
bled fugitives  of  the  Middle  Ages  possessed  of  a 
power  transcending  sword  or  axe,  rising  again  to 
their  ancient  place  in  the  world. 


60  EAGLE    BLOOD 

The  pregnant  symbolry  of  Broadway  stirred 
the  youth  profoundly.  He  had  never  been  much 
of  a  thinker.  His  life  in  England  had  been  too 
careless,  too  narrow,  and  too  full  of  headlong 
frolic  for  serious  reflection.  He  had  never  ques- 
tioned the  world  which  gave  him  his  living.  But 
the  immensity  of  human  endeavor  which  pressed 
him  on  all  sides,  the  reversal  of  old-world  condi- 
tions in  this  new  land,  aroused  his  imagination. 
If  these  thousands  of  men  with  unpronounceable 
oriental  names,  who  had  been  hunted  like  wild 
beasts  for  centuries  by  triumphant  Christianity, 
could  ascend  to  wealth  and  power  so  quickly  in 
New  York,  might  not  he,  too,  the  descendant 
of  conquerors,  reshape  the  broken  fortunes  of  his 
house  ?  The  thought  filled  him  with  hope,  and 
he  forgot  the  jeering  voices  that  taunted  his 
nationality.  He  felt  himself  a  sovereign  com- 
manding the  gates  of  opportunity  to  open  wide. 
His  heart  grew  large.  He  lifted  his  head  high 
and  walked  with  a  prouder  step. 

Then  he  recalled  his  mission  to  Mr.  Reming- 
ton, and  realizing  that  the  hour  was  late,  he 
entered  a  crowded  electric  car. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  61 

"  Step  lively  !  "  shouted  the  conductor,  as  Hugh 
got  on  the  platform ;  "  Move  along  forward  ! " 
and  the  conductor  prodded  him  in  the  back 
unceremoniously. 

"  Please  don't  do  that,"  cried  Hugh,  indig- 
nantly. 

"  Aw,  g'wan  !  Move  forward  !  —  plenty  of 
room  inside ! "  roared  the  conductor,  thrusting 
him  headlong  against  a  fat  little  man,  who  clung 
desperately  to  a  leather  strap  to  keep  himself 
from  falling. 

Down  came  Hugh's  spirit  to  the  earth  again. 
No,  it  was  useless  to  struggle  against  the  brutal 
force  that  dominated  New  York,  the  ruffian 
egotism  that  invaded  all  personal  rights.  He 
hated  it  with  a  hatred  born  of  impotency, 
this  free-and-easy  privilege  of  affrontive  democ- 
racy. 

"  Here's  your  street,"  shrieked  the  conductor, 
when  the  car  stopped.  "  Step  lively  now  "  —  as 
Hugh  left  the  platform  —  "and  don't  get  red- 
headed, young  feller." 

Unconsciously  Hugh  set  his  monocle  to  his 
eye  and  stared  haughtily.  The  conductor  threw 


62  EAGLE    BLOOD 

his  head   back   and   shook  with    derisive    laugh- 
ter. 

"  Same  to  you,  sir,"  he  chuckled,  sticking  a 
silver  half-dollar  against  one  eye  and  throwing 
out  his  chest,  as  the  car  moved  on,  leaving  Hugh 
in  the  street,  trembling  with  rage. 


CHAPTER   III 

WHEN  William  Remington  realized  that  he 
living  in  a  world  of  tired  men,  anxious  to 
escape  from  the  strain  of  competition,  he  also 
discovered  the  principle  of  industrial  monopoly. 
As  the  consciousness  of  this  tremendous  truth 
penetrated  his  worldly  mind,  the  New  York 
banker  felt  as  Franklin  did  when  his  kite  drew 
from  the  clouds  the  secret  of  electricity.  He  saw 
the  world  and  its  people  in  a  new  light.  When 
men  grew  eloquent  about  the  sacredness  of  indi- 
vidual rights  and  opportunities,  they  were  think- 
ing of  themselves  and  not  of  others. 

Mr.  Remington  preached  the  doctrine  of  non- 
competitive  economy,  not  to  the  irrelevant  masses 
—  what  had  they  to  do  with  such  matters  ?  —  but 
to  the  rival  proprietors  of  a  particular  industry. 
It  was  a  lazy  man's,  a  coward's,  gospel,  but  it 
found  favor  with  men  working  at  white  heat  and 
seeking  for  some  way  out  of  the  increasing  strain 

63 


64  EAGLE    BLOOD 

of  the  struggle.  The  matter  was  simple  to  Mr. 
Remington's  mind  and,  with  the  assistance  of  his 
lawyer,  he  reduced  it  to  the  quality  of  a  scientific 
certainty.  Having  secured  in  writing  the  privi- 
lege of  buying  each  factory  engaged  in  the  indus- 
try, at  an  exaggerated  price,  he  organized  the 
whole  industry  into  a  single  corporation  and 
persuaded  the  original  proprietors  to  take  tneir 
pay  in  shares  of  the  giant  organization,  proving 
clearly  that,  with  competition  destroyed,  the 
company  could  fix  its  own  prices  and  compel  the 
public  to  pay  dividends  hitherto  undreamed  of. 

That  was  the  beginning  of  Mr.  Remington's 
great  fortune.  He  had  discredited  the  feudal 
idea  of  competition,  and  established  the  modern 
principle  of  assimilation  or  monopoly.  It  was 
a  scientific  theory  toward  which  the  human  race 
had  been  growing  for  ages.  It  was  the  true 
goal  of  enlightened  progress.  It  eliminated 
sentiment  and  all  other  factors  which  had  hin- 
dered the  evolution  of  an  unwasteful  industrial 
system.  To  all  who  complained  that  he  was 
taking  away  from  the  young  men  of  his  country 
their  chance  to  compete,  he  replied  *  "  The 


EAGLE    BLOOD  65 

world  is  wide.  Let  them  become  monopolists 
themselves  and  they  will  never  complain  again." 
Which  answer  established  him  in  some  sort  as 
a  wit  and  philosopher. 

Notwithstanding  the  boon  which  Mr.  Reming- 
ton had  conferred  upon  his  unappreciative  coun- 
trymen, he  sought  no  public  recognition,  and 
was  content  to  work  out  his  plans  as  secretly 
as  the  vigilance  of  prying  journalism  would 
permit.  Other  men  might  wear  out  their  lives 
and  fortunes  in  the  pursuit  of  imaginary  political 
power,  but  Mr.  Remington  knew  that,  in  the 
end,  the  force  of  money  controlled  all  other 
things ;  and  the  politicians  might  strut  about 
before  the  multitude  in  the  robes  of  authority, 
but,  after  all,  so  he  believed,  they  were  the 
creatures  of  his  hand  and  will. 

Under  the  pressure  of  American  competition 
the  industries  of  Europe  began  to  fail.  Mr. 
Remington  discovered  that  the  manufacturers 
of  Great  Britain  and  the  Continent  were  as  eager 
to  find  relief  from  the  stress  of  rivalry  as  those 
of  New  York  and  Chicago  had  been.  He  con- 
ceived a  plan  of  international  monopoly,  and 


66  EAGLE    BLOOD 

his  lazy  man's  ideal  of  an  industrial  Nirvana 
found  favor  in  London.  He  began  to  feel  the 
arteries  of  world-power  pulsing  under  his  steady 
hand.  The  mightiest  captains  of  industry  and 
finance  sought  his  friendship  and  shrank  from 
his  opposition.  Whatever  thrills  of  pride  this 
secret  sovereignty  might  have  stirred  in  his 
breast,  the  banker  preserved  an  outward  atti- 
tude of  stolid  apathy. 

His  brownstone  palace  in  New  York,  with 
its  cathedral-like  doors  of  stained  glass,  was  a 
sort  of  domestic  fortress,  from  which  he  looked 
out  upon  a  conquered  community  with  cynical 
contempt.  The  brilliant  caperings  of  fashionable 
society,  the  splashings  and  sputterings  of  art 
and  literature,  the  bellowings  of  politics,  were 
mere  foolishness.  To  please  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ter he  built  a  marvellous  Roman  bath  in  his 
house,  and  gathered  art  treasures  from  all  coun- 
tries. The  canvases  of  Titian,  Velasquez,  Rem- 
brandt, Botticelli,  Rubens,  and  Murillo  rivalled 
the  masterpieces  of  modern  painters  on  his  walls. 
A  fragment  of  the  frieze  of  the  Parthenon,  found 
in  an  Athenian  house,  stood  in  the  hallway  oppo- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  67 

site  to  a  bronze  statue  of  Titus  by  Cellini,  smug- 
gled out  of  Italy  by  Mr.  Remington's  agent. 
Priceless  chandeliers  of  rock  crystal  from  a 
French  palace  reflected  a  hundred  electric  lights 
in  the  vast  drawing-room,  whose  plush-hung 
walls,  costly  modern  furniture,  and  gilded  piano 
were  strangely  out  of  harmony  with  the  triumphs 
of  ancient  art  that  met  the  eye  on  all  sides. 
Every  device  of  ease  and  luxury  that  money 
could  procure  was  to  be  found  in  Mr.  Reming- 
ton's house. 

Yet  there  was  a  subtle  atmosphere  of  melan- 
choly in  the  banker's  home.  His  wife,  a  tall, 
angular  woman,  with  greenish  gray  eyes  and 
an  aggressive  nose  that  reminded  one  of  the 
Duke  of  Wellington,  had  social  ambitions  that 
were  frustrated  by  her  husband's  brutal  indiffer- 
ence to  the  amenities  of  social  life.  The  power 
that  drained  wealth  from  millions  of  helpless 
toilers  withered  up  the  humanities.  The  ven- 
geance of  ruined  men  and  women  worked  into 
the  springs  of  social  happiness  and  poisoned 
them.  Her  son  had  entered  the  army  as  a  lieu- 
tenant, and  was  serving  in  the  Indian  country. 


68  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Her  daughter,  a  girl  of  rare  beauty  and  accom- 
plishments, was  likely  to  become  the  wife  of 
some  millionnaire  manufacturer,  if  Mr.  Rem- 
ington could  have  his  way.  To  every  delicate 
suggestion  of  the  social  advantages  which  a 
European  title  might  bring  to  their  child,  her 
husband  had  answered  only  with  sneers.  Titled 
foreigners,  he  said,  were  generally  fortune-hunters, 
who  neglected  their  wives  and  reserved  their 
money  and  their  love  for  mistresses.  None  of 
his  money  should  pay  the  debts  or  minister  to 
the  vices  of  a  worthless  English  lord  or  degen- 
erate French  count.  Fanny  should  marry  a 
man  of  her  own  country,  fit  to  take  care  of 
her. 

To  Mrs.  Remington's  mind,  an  international 
marriage  was  the  sure  way  to  the  social  prestige 
for  which  her  soul  hungered.  An  ancient  title 
would  lift  the  family  out  of  the  doubtful  status 
of  the  new)y  rich.  The  daughters  of  other 
American  millionnaires  had  married  English 
noblemen  and  brought  the  haughtiest  of  the 
Knickerbockers  to  their  feet.  At  each  fresh 
defeat  her  passion  grew  fiercer,  and,  while 


EAGLE    BLOOD  69 

she  encouraged  her  husband  in  his  financial 
pilgrimages  to  London,  it  was  only  that 
she  might  advance  her  cherished  matrimonial 
plan. 

Her  daughter  was  surrounded  by  every  in- 
fluence that  could  arouse  in  her  a  romantic 
interest  in  the  British  peerage.  The  novels  she 
read  had  titled  heroes,  and  her  songs  were  of 
gallant  knights  and  princely  champions.  She 
pored  over  books  that  pictured  the  stately  splen- 
dors of  hoary  English  castles.  All  the  romance 
of  the  world  began  and  ended  in  Burke's  Peer- 
age or  the  Almanack  de  Gotha.  Her  warm 
imagination  was  fed  on  tales  of  brilliant  social 
ceremonies  in  historic  palaces. 

Mrs.  Remington  guarded  her  daughter  'against 
the  candid  advances  of  rich  American  suitors. 
She  inspired  her  with  a  worldly  wisdom  that 
eluded  the  amorous  intrigues  of  cunning  matrons 
and  repelled  the  tender  attentions  invited  by 
her  youth  and  beauty.  None  but  a  man  of 
noble  blood  might  approach  that  well-disciplined 
heart.  When  Prince  Charming  came  and  fitted 
the  crystal  slipper  to  her  shapely  little  foot, 


70  EAGLE    BLOOD 

it  would  be  time  to  talk  of  marriage  ;  meanwhile 
the  beautiful  blue  eyes  looked  coldly  upon 
men. 

It  was  of  this  alluring  subject  that  the  Reming- 
tons were  talking  over  their  coffee,  when  Hugh 
Dorsay's  card  and  Professor  Muhlenberg's  letter 
of  introduction  were  brought  into  the  dining  room 
by  the  urbane  butler. 

"  A  visitor  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Remington,  as  her 
husband  tossed  the  card  on  the  table  and  read  the 
note. 

"  A  young  Englishman  —  graduate  of  Oxford," 
said  the  banker ;  "  comes  to  New  York  to  find 
a  living.  Why,  Fanny,  here's  your  chance  —  ha  ! 
ha !  He  isn't  an  American,  and  he's  looking  for 
a  fortune." 

"  Mr.  Remington  ! "  exclaimed  the  matron, 
severely. 

"  Now  don't,  my  dear,"  said  the  old  man,  shield- 
ing himself  with  upraised  hands  from  the  reproach- 
ful green  eyes.  "  Let's  go  and  see  him.  I'm 
sorry  Jack  isn't  here  to  meet  an  Oxford  man. 
Come,  Fanny." 

As   they  entered    the    splendid  drawing-room, 


EAGLE    BLOOD  71 

Mr.  Remington  held  out  his  hand  cordially  to 
the  pale  young  visitor. 

"  Glad  to  see  you,  sir  —  my  wife  —  my  daugh- 
ter—  be  seated." 

Hugh  drew  back  in  surprise. 

"  Why,  I'm  —  I'm  sure  we've  met  before,"  he 
stammered.  "  It  was  —  oh,  yes,  it  was  in  West- 
minster Abbey." 

"That's  so,"  said  the  banker,  smiling  as  he 
remembered  the  scene,  "  and  I  think  I  was  ill- 
mannered  enough  to  remark"  —  with  a  trium- 
phant look  at  his  wife  —  "  that  an  American  girl 
could  buy  almost  any  title  in  England  if  she  had 
enough  money.  It  must  have  sounded  —  " 

"  One  must  have  his  little  jest,"  said  Hugh, 
politely.  Miss  Remington's  face  crimsoned. 
Her  mother's  eyes  were  reproachfully  austere. 
She  gave  a  little  hard  cough  of  warning,  and 
frowned  at  her  husband.  "  Besides,  it's  only  too 
true  that  there  have  been  English  noblemen  who 
have  married/  American  heiresses  under  circum- 
stances that  justify  suspicion." 

"  But  their  wives  ?  "  exclaimed  Miss  Remington, 
eagerly.  "  Did  they  count  for  nothing  ?  " 


72  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  I'm  sure  I've  always  felt  that  they  were  lucky 
to  get  such  wives,"  said  Hugh,  gallantly,  "  and 
that  they  didn't  deserve  them." 

"  Well,  I'm  glad  to  see  you,  sir,"  said  Mr. 
Remington.  "  Any  Oxford  man,  any  friend  of 
Professor  Muhlenberg,  is  welcome  here,  even," 
—  the  shrewd  eyes  flashed  a  sarcastic  challenge  to 
Mrs.  Remington  —  "even  if  you  haven't  got  a 
title  to  sell." 

The  color  started  to  Hugh's  thin  face.  For  a 
moment  he  suspected  that  the  secret  of  his  title 
had  been  betrayed.  The  lights  swam  before  his 
eyes.  But  the  next  instant  his  doubts  vanished. 
He  saw  the  tall  girl  —  more  radiantly  lovely  than 
she  had  seemed  in  the  gloomy  old  abbey  —  smil- 
ing at  him  with  an  expression  of  willing  friendship, 
the  sweet  lips  parted,  and  the  dainty  head,  with 
its  soft  coil  of  faintly  golden  hair,  bent  in  an  atti- 
tude of  earnest  interest.  The  virile  forces  within 
him  stirred  as  he  smelled  the  rose  she  wore  on  her 
bosom  and  felt  the  frank  impact  of  her  beauty. 

"  I've  nothing  to  sell  in  New  York  but  the 
labor  of  my  hands  and  brain,"  he  said,  "and  that 
doesn't  seem  to  be  a  very  valuable  commodity." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  73 

Hugh's  courtly  manner  seemed  to  impress 
Mrs.  Remington.  There  was  an  easy  grace  about 
him,  an  intangible  courtesy  in  his  bearing,  that 
aroused  her  admiration. 

"  I'm  sure  you'll  succeed,  Mr.  Dorsay,"  mur- 
mured the  matron.  "  You  come  from  a  country 
that  —  " 

"  Has  seen  better  days,"  suggested  Mr.  Rem- 
ington, grimly. 

"  Mr.  Remington  !  "  cried  his  wife,  with  a  look 
of  anger.  "  How  can  you  ?  " 

"  That's  all  right,  my  dear,"  said  the  banker, 
laughingly.  "  No  one  knows  it  better  than  Mr. 
Dorsay.  That's  why  he  has  come  to  New  York. 
This  is  a  young  man's  country,  and  it's  a  young 
woman's  country,  too,  although  Fanny  doesn't 
think  so  —  " 

"  Mr.  Remington  !  "  The  green  eyes  flashed 
in  protest. 

"  It's  papa's  way  of  teasing  us,"  explained  Miss 
Remington.  "  He  thinks  that  the  British  peer- 
age is  an  organized  conspiracy  against  the  mar- 
riageable maidens  of  America,  and  that,  unless  we 
are  careful,  we  shall  all  be  carried  off  by  the  robber 


74  EAGLE    BLOOD 

barons  and  shut  up  in  their  castles  ;  and  the  sorry 
truth  is  "  —  she  tossed  her  shapely  head  —  "  that 
the  robber  barons  stay  in  their  castles,  and  won't 
even  look  at  us." 

Hugh  was  staring  at  a  curious  gold  ring  on  her 
finger.  It  fascinated  him. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Dorsay  —  " 

"  That  ring,  Miss  Remington.  What  a  curious 
thing." 

"It  is  odd,  isn't  it?"  and  she  held  her  hand 
out.  "  I  picked  it  up  in  the  railway  station  in 
London." 

He  recognized  the  ring  which  Tancred  had 
given  to  his  ancestor  at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem 
and  which  he  had  thrown  to  Mr.  Chadder  from 
the  window  of  the  railway  carriage  the  day  he 
left  London.  His  heart  beat  wildly  at  the  sight 
of  the  gleaming  circlet  that  connected  him  with 
a  glorious  past.  There  was  a  lump  in  his  throat. 

"  See  how  the  carving  has  been  worn,"  she 
said,  slipping  the  ring  from  her  finger.  "  I  can't 
make  it  out.  It  must  be  very  old." 

Hugh  took  the  ring,  still  warm,  and  the  touch 
thrilled  him  with  mingled  pain  and  pleasure. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  75 

"  It's  a  crusader's  ring,"  he  said,  bending 
over  it  to  conceal  his  emotion.  "  That  is  the 
sign  of  the  crusades,  the  lamb  and  the  cross  — 
see  !  there  is  the  lamb's  head." 

"How  romantic — and  to  find  it  in  London, 
too.  I'm  sure  it  must  be  an  omen  of  the  future." 

Her  eyes  shone,  and  she  clapped  her  hands. 
Mrs.  Remington  beamed  and  nodded  her  head 
in  approval.  The  old  banker  sniffed  contemptu- 
ously. 

"  Probably  a  copy  from  the  antique,"  he  re- 
marked. 

"  No,"  said  Hugh,  tremulously.  "  It's  genu- 
ine. See ! " 

He  pressed  his  thumb  nail  against  the  carving 
and  twisted  the  ring  with  a  jerk.  A  tiny  door 
concealed  behind  the  carved  tablet  flew  open, 
revealing  a  miniature  enamelled  head  of  Christ, 
crowned  with  thorns. 

"  Good  gracious  !  "  exclaimed  the  astonished 
banker. 

Miss  Remington  uttered  a  little  scream  of 
delight  and,  throwing  her  arm  around  her 
mother's  neck,  kissed  her  cheek. 


76  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Wonderful  !  really  wonderful !  "  said  Mrs. 
Remington,  solemnly. 

With  another  swift  motion  Hugh  closed  the 
secret  shutter  and  handed  the  ring  back  to  Miss 
Remington,  who  tried  in  vain  to  open  it  again. 
She  knit  her  fair  brows  and  pouted  as  she  en- 
deavored to  solve  the  mystery  of  Tancred's 
ring. 

"  It's  too  provoking,"  she  said.  "  I  can't 
find  the  spring  that  opens  it." 

"  No  one  can  do  that  unless  he  has  the  old 
crusader  blood  in  his  veins,"  said  Hugh,  with 
a  strange  twinkle  in  his  eyes.  Already  he  could 
feel  his  soul  rising  from  the  depression  in  which 
it  had  lived  since  his  arrival  in  America.  These 
people,  in  spite  of  their  wealth  and  power,  were 
mere  flies  on  the  wheel  of  society. 

"  Then  how  is  it  that  you  could  open  it  ? 
Have  you  —  " 

"  Oh,  no,"  he  answered  in  alarm.  "  I'm  just 
a  plain  Englishman.  I  learned  that  trick  from 
an  English  viscount,  a  direct  descendant  of  God- 
frey de  Bouillon,  the  knight  who  rescued  the 
Holy  Sepulchre  from  the  infidels." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  77 

"  Isn't  it  enchanting  !  "  cried  the  girl.  "  Do 
tell  us  what  he  was  like." 

"  Really,  he  was  nothing  extraordinary.  Just 
such  another  fellow  as  I  am." 

"  But  he  must  have  been  big  and  strong,  with 
lion  eyes  and  a  fierce  mustache." 

"  No,  he  had  no  mustache,  and  he  had  mild 
blue  eyes,  just  like  mine  ;  and  he  was  thin  and 
narrow-shouldered,  just  like  me,  poor  chap  ;  and 
the  last  time  I  saw  him  he  didn't  have  a  shilling 
to  his  name." 

Hugh  had  to  struggle  hard  to  keep  himself 
from  laughing  while  he  drew  his  own  portrait. 
A  spirit  of  deviltry  seized  him.  His  humility 
vanished,  and  he  grew  superior  to  the  splendid 
chandeliers,  the  pictures,  the  gilded  piano,  and 
the  costly  magnificences  that  had  overwhelmed 
him  when  he  entered  the  room.  After  all,  blood 
was  the  thing,  and  money  could  not  buy  a  noble 
ancestry.  What  a  farce  the  world  was  ! 

"  But  the  crusaders  were  giants." 

"  Ah,  yes,  Miss  Remington ;  but  they  died 
a  long  time  ago,  and  their  descendants  have  been 
degenerated  by  lives  of  idle  ease." 


78  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  How  I'd  like  to  meet  a  real  descendant  of 
Godfrey  de  Bouillon  !  " 

"  What  a  privilege  to  be  the  wife  of  such  a 
man,"  murmured  Mrs.  Remington,  rolling  her 
green  eyes  at  the  thought. 

"  And  would  you  marry  such  a  man  if  he  were 
poor  and  unable  to  earn  his  own  living?"  asked 
Hugh,  looking  straight  into  the  eyes  of  the  beau- 
tiful girl.  "  Would  you,  really  ?  Pardon  me, 
it  isn't  a  fair  question,  of  course,  but  — " 

"  Yes,  I  really  would.  There,  now  !  "  And 
she  nodded  her  head  defiantly  toward  her  father, 
and  kissed  the  ring  on  her  finger.  "  Don't 
frown,  you  naughty  papa ;  you  know  that  you'd 
be  glad  to  have  a  son-in-law  like  that.  Now, 
now,  now,  don't  be  cross  —  " 

"  Not  by  a  hanged  sight!"  said  the  old  banker, 
roughly. 

"  Why,  papa,  where's  your  imagination  and 
your  poetry  ? " 

"Stuff!"  growled  Mr.  Remington.  "It 
takes  a  lot  of  imagination  and  poetry  to  stand 
off  creditors  and  fix  up  a  rickety  castle  that  a 
dog  couldn't  live  in  without  getting  rheumatism." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  79 

But  there  was  a  sly  flicker  in  his  deep  eyes, 
indicating  that  the  idea  was  not  so  offensive  to 
him  as  he  pretended. 

"  Besides,"  he  added  in  a  gentler  tone,  "  you 
haven't  found  your  titled  descendant  of  the 
crusaders  yet.  Better  not  arrange  for  the  mar- 
riage till  he  turns  up,  —  eh,  Fanny  ?  " 

The  temptation  to  reveal  his  name  and  rank  at 
once  was  almost  too  strong  for  Hugh,  and  the 
avowal  trembled  for  an  instant  on  his  lips.  Why 
should  he  not  acknowledge  his  birthright  and 
seize  this  opportunity  ?  Then  he  realized  that 
he  would  place  himself  in  a  false  position,  that  he 
would  be  looked  upon  as  a  vulgar  trickster.  He 
had  gone  too  far,  and  his  steps  could  not  be 
retraced.  He  grew  dizzy,  and  a  cold  dew  stood 
on  his  forehead.  He  stammered  and  leaned 
faintly  against  the  back  of  his  chair,  with  a 
despairing  consciousness  that  he  had  lost  the 
right  to  his  own  name. 

"And  now,  my  dear,"  said  Mr.  Remington, 
blandly,  "  Mr.  Dorsay  looks  tired,  and  I  suppose 
he  wants  to  have  a  little  talk  with  me  in  the 
library.  Never  fear,  you'll  have  plenty  of  time 


80  EAGLE    BLOOD 

in  the  future  to  discuss  the  dukes  and  earls  and 
what-do-you-call-'ems,  and  the  castles  and  credit- 
ors and —  This  way,  Mr.  Dorsay,"  rising  and 
leading  the  way  to  the  hall  staircase.  "  Good 
night,  my  dear ;  good  night,  Fanny.  Don't  marry 
yourself  off  in  your  sleep,  my  child.  Come, 
Mr.  Dorsay." 

Hugh  took  leave  of  the  ladies,  and  as  he  fol- 
lowed the  banker  out  of  the  room  he  caught  sight 
of  Miss  Remington  in  a  mirror  kissing  his  ring 
again  and  again ;  and  his  heart  sank  within  him. 

Mr.  Remington's  library  was  a  large,  square 
room  lined  with  book  shelves  and  mysterious  little 
cupboards  on  top  of  which  were  bronze  busts  of 
Washington,  Lincoln,  and  Grant.  In  the  middle 
of  the  room  was  a  huge  table-desk,  littered  with 
pamphlets  and  documents.  There  was  a  clock 
and  a  telephone  receiver  on  a  stand  beside  it.  In 
spite  of  the  rows  of  handsomely  bound  volumes, 
there  was  a  suggestion  of  hard  work  about  the 
place  that  impressed  the  young  man  as  he  sat 
down  in  the  stiff-backed  chair  toward  which  Mr. 
Remington  motioned  him. 

The  banker  lit  a  cigar  and  stood  before  the  fire 


EAGLE    BLOOD  81 

that  played  in  rose  and  violet  flames  within  the 
fantastic  cast-iron  grate.  He  clasped  his  hands 
behind  his  back  and  rocked  gently  on  his  heels, 
looking  keenly  at  his  visitor,  while  the  smoke 
slipped  through  his  lips  and  curled  upward. 
Now  that  he  was  alone  with  Mr.  Remington, 
Hugh  felt  less  confident.  He  noticed  the  square 
jaws  and  hard,  straight  mouth,  and  there  was  a 
lurking  sternness  in  the  eyes. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Dorsay,"  said  Mr.  Remington, 
curtly,  "  I  presume  that  you  want  to  talk  to  me 
about  your  own  affairs.  Of  course  you  must 
appreciate  the  fact  that  a  young  man  ignorant  of 
the  customs  of  the  country  .cannot  expect  too 
much  in  the  way  of  an  opening  at  first.  I  shall 
have  to  think  over  the  matter  before  I  can  find  a 
position  suited  to  your  inexperience." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Hugh,  "  but  I  have 
already  secured  a  place.  I'm  on  the  staff  of  the 
Mail" 

"  Wha-a-at  ?  "  Mr.  Remington  started  as  if 
he  had  been  struck  in  the  face.  "  The  Mail,  you 


say  ? 


Yes,"  said  Hugh,  with  an  air  of  pride,  "  and 


82  EAGLE   BLOOD 

my  first  important  assignment  is  to  interview  you 
on  international  trusts.  Mr.  Irkins  himself  sent 
me  —  said  it  was  a  great  opportunity." 

The  old  man's  eyes  blazed,  and  his  face  grew 
purple.  He  clenched  his  fists  and  stamped  on 
the  floor.  The  terrible  white  eyebrows  seemed 
to  bristle. 

"  I'd  have  you  know,  sir,"  he  said,  choking 
with  anger,  "  that  no  newspaper  man  is  allowed 
to  enter  my  doors.  I  never  talk  to  the  news- 
papers." 

"  Why,  I  thought  everybody  talked  to  the 
newspapers  in  New  York,"  cried  Hugh,  shrinking 
before  the  infuriate  banker.  "  I  owe  you  an 
apology,  sir.  I  should  have  mentioned  my  mis- 
sion at  first,  but  the  warmth  of  my  welcome  made 
me  forget  —  " 

"  Well,  well,"  said  Mr.  Remington,  suddenly 
mollified,  "  I  shouldn't  have  forgotten  that  you 
brought  me  a  letter  from  Professor  Muhlenberg, 
and  besides,"  —  there  was  a  sardonic  gleam  in  his 
eyes,  —  "  you  couldn't  be  expected  to  know  what 
a  devil  out  of  hell  that  man  Irkins  is,  —  a  sneaking, 
meddling,  unscrupulous  scoundrel  who  keeps  the 


EAGLE    BLOOD  83 

country  stirred  up  against  every  man  who  has  a 
dollar." 

Mr.  Remington  lit  his  cigar,  which  had  gone 
out,  and  blew  a  great  cloud  of  smoke  straight 
before  him.  He  gave  a  harsh  little  chuckle  and 
shook  his  head. 

"  So  Irkins  wanted  you  to  draw  me  out  ?  —  the 
snake  !  Well,  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,  Mr.  Dor- 
say,  now  that  I've  thought  it  over;  I'll  give  you 
an  interview  —  it'll  help  you  out,  I  know  —  but 
it  must  be  understood  that  hereafter  you  are  to 
be  received  in  my  house  as  a  friend  of  Professor 
Muhlenberg  and  not  as  a  newspaper  man.  With 
that  understanding,  you  can  go  ahead  and  inter- 
view me.  Pitch  in,  sir." 

The  old  man  squared  his  huge  shoulders,  threw 
his  head  back,  and  watched  the  circles  of  smoke 
ascending  slowly  to  the  ceiling. 

There  was  an  absolute  silence  for  a  moment. 

"Go  ahead,  Mr.  Dorsay.  Pump  me  dry." 
Again  the  harsh  chuckle. 

Hugh  looked  at  the  strong  figure.  He  felt 
weak  and  empty  in  the  presence  of  a  master 
mind  of  finance.  The  old  sense  of  helpless- 


84  EAGLE    BLOOD 

ness  took  possession  of  him.  His  limbs  trem- 
bled. 

"  The  truth  is,  Mr.  Remington,"  he  said  ap- 
pealingly,  "  that  I  don't  know  enough  about 
business  to  ask  intelligent  questions." 

"  Oh,  well,"  muttered  the  banker,  thrusting 
his  hands  deep  into  his  pockets,  "  in  that  case, 
I'll  have  to  help  you  out." 

In  a  few  plain  words  Mr.  Remington  described 
the  conditions  which  had  given  to  America  the 
primacy  of  the  industrial  and  financial  world,  the 
progress  of  invention  and  the  development  of 
skill  and  energy  in  a  continent  of  unrivalled  natu- 
ral riches,  the  consolidation  of  industries,  and  the 
gradual  reduction  of  the  cost  of  manufacture. 

"We  have  many  of  the  British  industries  just 
where  we  want  them,"  he  said.  "They  can't 
stand  our  competition,  and  it  will  be  better  for 
all  to  extend  the  principle  of  non-competitive 
production  to  both  countries,  and,  in  time,  to  all 
the  leading  industrial  nations.  In  other  words, 
we  are  beginning  to  absorb  British  industries. 
The  effect  of  this  policy  will  in  time  form  a 
powerful  political  bond  between  Great  Britain 


EAGLE   BLOOD  85 

and  the  United  States.  Business,  sir,  is  the  final 
controlling  factor  in  all  human  affairs,  individual, 
national,  or  international.  This  new  development 
of  our  national  influence  will  afford  the  best  guar- 
antee of  peace  that  the  world  can  find.  During 
my  visit  to  England  I  succeeded  in  making  ar- 
rangements that  will  in  time  give  the  control 
of  the  leather  industry  to  the  United  States." 

Hugh  had  been  taking  notes. 

"  I'd  like  an  illustration,"  he  suggested. 

"  I  secured  control  of  several  important  fac- 
tories, among  others  the  South  London  Boot 
and  Shoe  Works  —  " 

"  Good  God  !  You  —  Mr.  Remington  — 
you  —  " 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  " 

"  Oh,  nothing,  nothing,"  gasped  Hugh,  as  he 
realized  that  he  was  face  to  face  with  the  man 
who  had  ruined  him  and  made  him  an  exile  from 
his  country  and  rank.  "  I  was  thinking  of  a 
friend  who  was  beggared  by  the  forced  sale  of 
the  South  London  Works.  It  was  very,  very 
painful." 

His  voice  broke  and  he  shook  like  one  in  a  fit. 


86  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Some  worn-out  aristocrat,  too  lazy  or  too 
weak  to  work,"  remarked  the  old  man. 

"  Yes,  yes,  something  of  that  sort "  —  his  voice 
was  hoarse ;  "  a  poor  devil  brought  up  to  think 
that  the  world  was  made  only  for  him.  But  it 
was  a  ghastly  thing,  Mr.  Remington.  It  drove 
him  out  of  England  without  a  penny  in  his 
pocket." 

Again  Hugh  had  to  wrestle  to  keep  himself 
from  declaring  his  name  and  title  and  telling  the 
banker  the  story  of  his  ruin. 

"  Good  thing  for  him,"  said  Mr.  Remington, 
unfeelingly ;  "  he'll  have  to  work  now.  It'll 
make  a  man  of  him.  Why,  sir,"  —  he  took  a 
long  puff  at  his  cigar  and  blew  a  wreath  of  smoke 
toward  the  ceiling,  —  "if  I  hadn't  learned  to 
work  and  think  and  plan,  I'd  never  have  been 
able  to  get  him  out  of  the  leather  business. 
From  the  moment  we  were  born,  that  English- 
man and  I  have  been  unconsciously  approaching 
this  test  of  our  capacity,  he  drifting  along  idly, 
living  on  the  fat  of  the  land,  and  ignoring  the 
warnings  that  stare  every  man  in  the  face ;  and  I 
preparing  myself  night  and  day,  studying,  watch- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  87 

ing,  moving  closer  and  closer,  until  finally  I  caught 
him  asleep.  I  tell  you,  sir,  it's  the  working  out 
of  God's  will.  We  are  living  in  a  strenuous  age, 
and  the  man  who  forgets  that  fact  is  bound  to 
fail." 

Hugh  watched  the  banker  with  a  sort  of  terror. 
His  ancestors  had  been  men  like  this ;  men  who 
trampled  their  enemies  beneath  their  feet,  —  but 
they  had  risked  their  lives  and  shed  their  blood 
in  pursuit  of  power  and  glory.  This  short,  fat 
man,  who  gloated  over  the  approaching  downfall 
of  an  empire  founded  by  a  race  of  warriors,  had 
never  faced  a  naked  blade.  His  victories  were 
won  by  the  cunning  of  finance  in  cold  blood. 
That  short  arm  and  pudgy  red  hand  had  never 
struck  an  open  blow  in  the  field.  That  eye, 
glowing  under  the  craggy  white  brow,  had  never 
challenged  a  foe  to  manly  combat ;  yet  Hugh 
felt  like  a  child  in  the  presence  of  the  silent  force 
that  seemed  to  radiate  from  the  commonplace 
man  who  smoked  his  cigar  so  contentedly. 

While  he  gazed  at  Mr.  Remington  in  a  stupor 
of  fascination,  half  dreaming,  a  shadow  fell  before 
him,  and  a  tall,  slim  figure  glided  forward.  Miss 


88  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Remington  threw  her  arms  around  her  father's 
neck  and  kissed  him. 

"  There,  you  wicked  papa,"  she  said,  with 
crimsoned  cheeks  and  beaming  eyes.  "  You  for- 
got that,  and  I  brought  it  to  you,  and  we  mustn't 
forget — "  with  a  kind,  sidewise  glance  that 
stirred  Hugh's  blood  — "  that  we  haven't  asked 
Mr.  Dorsay  to  dinner.  I  must,  must,  hear  more 
about  those  dear  crusaders  ;  and  so  we'll  make  it 
Friday  evening,  when  Senator  Bradford  will  be 
here.  You  know,  we're  in  town  out  of  season, 
and  must  be  going  to  the  country." 

"  I'm  sure  we'll  be  very  happy,  if  Mr.  Dorsay 
will  honor  us,"  said  Mr.  Remington. 

"  Delighted,"  answered  Hugh,  looking  thank- 
fully at  the  beauty. 

"Mr.  Dorsay,  I'm  sorry  to  say,  has  entered 
the  service  of  the  Mail"  said  the  banker.  "  Of 
course,  my  dear,  that  won't  make  any  difference 
in  our  welcome,  but  —  well,  it  is  too  bad  that 
he's  got  among  those  infernal  scribblers." 

"  Fie,  Mr.  Dorsay ! "  exclaimed  the  girl, 
shaking  her  head  at  him.  "To  think  that 
you've  joined  the  Philistines !  and  yet " —  the  blue 


EAGLE    BLOOD  89 

eyes  sparkled  with  enthusiasm  —  "I  think  I'll 
like  you  better  because  you're  not  a  mere  —  oh, 
papa,  what  do  you  call  it  ?  —  a  money  grubber, 
who  has  no  time  for  anything  but  stocks  and 
dividends  and  ridiculous  board  meetings.  Just 
think  of  having  a  live  journalist,  a  vox  -populi^  to 
tell  us  everything  about  everybody!  And  I'm 
dying  to  hear  about  Mr.  Irkins,  that  dreadful 
pasteboard  dragon  who  frightens  papa.  There 
now!"  —  putting  her  dimpled  white  hands  over 
the  old  man's  mouth  — "  you  know  he  frightens 
you,  and  you  mustn't  deny  it.  You  see  "  —  turn- 
ing to  Hugh,  who  looked  embarrassed  —  papa 
gets  rich  by  keeping  secrets  and  Mr.  Irkins  gets 
rich  by  destroying  them." 

"  That's  it,"  nodded  Mr.  Remington.  "  His 
spies  are  everywhere.  A  man  can't  organize  an 
enterprise  — " 

"  Or  steal  a  purse,"  chirruped  Miss  Remington. 

"  Fanny  !  " 

"  I'm  quoting  Mr.  Irkins,  papa." 

f:  Or  lay  any  business  plans  —  " 

"To  cheat  his  neighbor  —  Irkins  again, 
papa." 


90  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Really,  my  dear,"  growled  the  banker,  notic- 
ing Hugh's  smile,  "  this  is  not  a  joking  matter. 
Nothing  is  holy,  Mr.  Dorsay,  to  that  prying 
hypocrite,  not  even  the  most  sacred  matters  of 
the  business  community." 

"  Dear  me,"  exclaimed  the  girl,  raising  her  eye- 
brows and  gathering  her  dainty  lips  into  a  mock- 
ing moue^  "  how  fearful !  It  makes  one's  blood 
run  cold.  Even  a  woman  wouldn't  dare  to  peep 
into  such  awful  matters.  I  don't  see  how  we  can 
sleep  at  night  with  Mr.  Irkins  and  his  trained 
basilisks  prowling  through  the  streets.  But  you 
shan't  say  anything  more  to  make  Mr.  Dorsay 
feel  uncomfortable."  Hugh  was  squirming  un- 
easily in  his  seat.  "  We're  not  a  bit  afraid  of 
you  and  your  Irkinses  and  sunlight  of  publicity 
and  rights  of  man ;  and  we  shall  expect  you  on 
Friday,  ready  to  tell  us  about  the  olden  knights 
and  how  they  killed  the  dragons,  and  papa  shan't 
say  another  word  about  his  dragon.  Good  night, 
papa;  good  night,  Mr.  Dorsay  —  don't  forget 
Friday." 

She  tripped  out  of  the  room  with  the  airy  grace 
of  a  child,  leaving  a  faint  odor  of  roses  in  the  air. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  91 

An  hour  later  Hugh  sat  at  his  desk  in  the 
Mail  office  pouring  his  soul  out  on  paper.  He 
recounted  the  interview  with  Mr.  Remington  in  a 
few  simple  words  and  repeated  his  bold  proph- 
ecy of  world-wide  conquest  for  American  trade. 
Then  he  told  the  story  of  a  young  English 
nobleman,  the  heir  of  centuries  of  wealth  and 
social  power,  driven  from  his  home  by  the  pitiless 
invasion  of  American  syndicates,  and  forced  to 
wander  in  search  of  a  living  among  strangers 
under  an  assumed  name.  It  was  the  tale  of  his 
own  strange  fortunes,  and  he  wrote  with  a  passion 
born  of  self-pity.  Hour  after  hour  he  wrought 
out  the  bitterness  of  his  spirit  in  words,  and  he 
grew  eloquent  while  the  spell  of  his  agony  was 
upon  him.  He  pictured  the  miseries  of  a  man  of 
aristocratic  birth  and  gentle  breeding  suddenly 
called  upon  to  humble  himself  to  the  raw  social 
forces  of  a  new  country,  and  to  hear  the  very  men 
who  had  accomplished  his  downfall  vaunt  their 
sinister  prowess  in  his  face. 

It  was  a  powerful  and  moving  story,  instinct 
with  tragic  sentiment  and  convincing  in  its  evi- 
dent simplicity.  He  wrote  the  truth  as  it  came 


92  EAGLE    BLOOD 

from  his  mind  and  heart,  inspired  by  his  suffer- 
ings. His  blood  ran  lightning.  All  that  could 
feel  pain  in  him  uttered  itself.  It  was  a  threnody 
of  real  life,  such  an  outburst  of  heartfelt  lamenta- 
tion as  could  only  come  from  a  soul  that  had 
tasted  the  dregs  of  misery. 

When  he  handed  his  copy  to  the  city  editor 
that  exalted  person  assumed  an  aspect  of  frozen 
astonishment. 

"  Mr.  Dorsay,"  he  said  in  a  voice  of  deep 
melancholy,  "  do  you  think  you  are  hired  to  write 
by  the  yard  ?  There's  —  let  me  see  —  something 
like  three  and  a  half  columns  here.  You'll  have 
to  chop  it  down  to  a  column,  with  room  for  a 
spread  heading.  Just  cut  all  the  gooslum  out  of 
it  and  get  down  to  the  news  —  no  guff,  but  plain, 
straightforward  news." 

"  I've  done  m'y  best,  sir,"  said  Hugh,  wearily. 
"  I've  written  it  just  as  Mr.  Irkins  told  me  to, 
and  I  can't  change  it." 

He  was  oppressed  by  a  feeling  of  tired  dizzi- 
ness. The  lights  in  the  room  seemed  to  change 
to  green  and  to  red,  and  then  to  green  again. 
Curious  black  specks  floated  in  the  air.  He  saw 


EAGLE    BLOOD  93 

the  little  editor  perk  and  frown,  and  he  heard  a 
sound  as  of  rushing  water.  Voices  of  thunder 
muttered  around  him. 

He  staggered  back  to  his  desk  and  sat  down, 
dazed  and  nerveless,  with  an  exquisite  conscious- 
ness of  pain.  His  thin  face  was  as  white  as  death. 
He  leaned  his  head  on  his  hand  and,  through  his 
half-closed  eyes,  saw  Mr.  Martin,  at  the  next 
desk,  suddenly  look  at  him  through  a  nimbus  of 
tobacco  smoke. 

"  Why,  hello  !  "  cried  the  veteran,  with  kindling 
eyes.  "  I  thought  you'd  never  get  through. 
What  makes  you  look  so  solemncholy  ?  Has 
he"  —  with  a  jerk  of  his  thumb  toward  the 
city  editor  — "  been  jumping  on  you  ?  You 
mustn't  mind  him.  He's  just  a  drooling,  driv- 
elling, shad-bellied  —  " 

"  Mr.  Martin  !  "  roared  the  editor. 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  the  old  man,  meekly, 
"  I'll  have  my  story  ready  in  a  minute."  And 
he  returned  to  his  desk,  from  which  point  he 
winked  mysteriously  at  Hugh  and  shook  his 
head,  in  silent  condemnation  of  the  editorial 
tyrant. 


94  EAGLE    BLOOD 

For  a  long  time  Hugh  sat  brooding.  He 
had  emptied  his  heart  of  its  passionate  protest 
against  the  wretchedness  of  his  new  life,  and  the 
reaction  deprived  him  of  the  power  of  consecu- 
tive thought. 

Presently  he  was  summoned  to  Mr.  Irkins's 
room.  As  he  went  down  the  stairs  he  had  a 
dim  foreboding  of  disaster.  Had  he  offended 
the  proprietor  by  his  bitter  indictment  ?  Was 
he  to  be  dismissed?  Well,  he  had  had  his 
say,  and  if  the  end  had  come,  he  would  face  it 
like  a  true  Englishman. 

Hardly  had  he  opened  the  door  of  the  little 
office  when  Mr.  Irkins  bounded  forward,  wav- 
ing his  manuscript  in  the  air,  the  brown  eyes 
blazing  with  excitement  and  the  bony  face 
quivering. 

"  It's  great !  great !  "  he  shouted.  "  You've 
written  the  story  of  the  year.  It'll  stir  the 
whole  country,  sir.  You  have  the  imagination 
of  a  Milton,  Mr.  Dorsay.  Marvellous  !  I  had 
no  idea  you  had  such  quality  in  you.  Your 
description  of  that  titled  nincompoop  will  tickle 
the  pride  of  the  people.  It's  just  what  they 


EAGLE    BLOOD  95 

need  to  make  them  realize  the  splendid  progress 
of  American  —  " 

The  young  man  reeled,  and  threw  his  hands 
out  before  him. 

"  Here,  quick  ! — some  one  !  —  help  !"  shrieked 
the  master  of  the  Mail. 

Hugh  had  fainted,  and  the  heir  of  the  crusaders 
lay  in  a  pitiful  heap  at  Mr.  Irkins's  feet. 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE  next  day  Hugh  gathered  up  his  posses- 
sions, went  to  New  Rochelle,  and  drove  over 
the  smooth  country  road  to  Mr.  Martin's  home, 
—  a  trim,  green  cottage,  with  rough  stone  foun- 
dations, and  a  red  roof,  standing  in  a  grove  of 
trees,  and  surrounded  by  a  small  garden  of  old- 
fashioned  flowers,  with  quaint  box  hedges  and 
all  sorts  of  goodly,  bitter-smelling  bushes.  The 
climbing  roses  over  the  little  diamond-paned 
door,  the  scarlet  beans  creeping  along  the  rail- 
ing of  the  veranda,  and  the  delicate  confusion 
of  pink  and  white  and  lavender  in  the  pea-vines 
that  trailed  down  from  the  sills  of  the  dainty- 
curtained  windows,  gave  an  air  of  sweetness  and 
cosey  beauty  to  the  place  that  appealed  to  the 
English-bred  youth. 

Hugh  could  never  think  afterwards  of  that 
quiet  spot  without  calling  up  a  vision  of 
Helen  Martin  as  he  first  saw  her  in  the  sunlit 

96 


EAGLE   BLOOD  97 

garden,  —  a  slim,  sprite-like  girl  in  a  filmy  white 
dress,  lilac  jacket,  and  jaunty  straw  hat,  brown 
eyed,  brown  haired ;  a  graceful,  adorable,  little 
child-woman,  moving  with  light  feet  and  smiling 
face,  a  shepherdess  of  roses  —  while  the  smoke 
of  her  father's  pipe  rose  peacefully  behind  an 
open  newspaper  on  the  veranda. 

As  the  dusty  carriage  stopped  in  the  road- 
way, she  came  tripping  to  the  gate,  the  blush 
of  health  in  her  dimpled  cheeks  and  a  sparkle 
of  unconcealed  happiness  in  her  honest  eyes. 

"  He's  here,  daddy,"  she  cried,  and  Hugh 
thought  he  had  never  heard  such  a  musical 
voice. 

"  Hurrah  !  "  shouted  the  old  journalist,  throw- 
ing down  his  newspaper  and  running  bareheaded 
through  the  garden,  his  kindly  face  glowing 
with  excitement.  "  Welcome,  sir ;  this  is  my 
little  girl,  Helen  —  Mr.  Dorsay,  my  dear." 

Hugh  jumped  to  the  ground  and  took  the 
small,  sun-browned  hand  that  was  offered  so 
frankly.  The  touch  gave  him  an  exquisite  sense 
of  pleasure. 

"  We've   been   waiting   for   you,  oh,   ever   so 


98  EAGLE    BLOOD 

long,"  she  said,  and  then  she  cast  her  eyes 
down  shyly. 

"  Yes,  sir,  and  I've  been  reading  that  thumping 
fine  article  of  yours  in  the  Mail"  said  Mr.  Martin, 
"  and  it's  a  wonder  —  best  thing  I've  seen  in  years. 
It'll  make  your  reputation.  But,  come,  it's  too 
hot  out  here  in  the  sun,  and  we  must  get  your 
things  into  the  house.  Here"  —  to  the  driver 
of  the  carriage,  —  "just  hand  down  that  —  Why, 
what  on  earth  —  " 

"  It's  my  bath-tub,"  said  Hugh,  as  the  pea- 
green  tin  clanked  on  the  ground. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  brought 
it  all  the  way  from  England  ? " 

"  Why,  of  course." 

"  Goodness  !  "  exclaimed  Helen,  u  you  English- 
men must  have  a  flattering  opinion  of  other 

• 

people,  if  you  think  it  necessary  to  carry  your 
bath-tubs  around  the  world  with  you.  You'll 
find  a  porcelain  bath  here.  Mary "  —  a  neat 
maid,  in  a  white  apron,  appeared  — "  you  can 
put  that  in  the  summer-house ;  it  will  do  for  my 
goldfish." 

And  while  the  maid  carried  the  bath-tub  away 


EAGLE    BLOOD  99 

on  her  head  and  the  driver  removed  the  big 
leather  trunk  from  the  carriage,  Hugh  and  his 
host  walked  to  the  house,  with  Helen  flitting 
before  them,  her  sweet  young  face  crimsoned  at 
the  memory  of  her  jest. 

"  She's  the  dearest  little  woman  in  the  world," 
said  the  old  man,  as  he  watched  the  airy  figure, 
"  and  she's  as  full  of  fun  as  a  kitten  —  that  way 
all  the  time  unless  —  well,  unless  you  just  stir 
her  up,  and  then  she  has  the  nerve  of  a  man. 
You  wouldn't  think  it  to  look  at  her,  but  she's 
been  through  college,  and  it  hasn't  left  a  scar  on 
her.  It  makes  prigs  or  blue-stockings  out  of 
most  girls,"  he  added,  noticing  the  young  man's 
look  of  surprise,  "  but  she  hasn't  a  twist  in  her 
— just  as  straight  and  simple  and  good-hearted 
as  God  made  her,  and  American  to  the  core. 
I  want  you  to  know  her  because"  —  his  voice 
grew  husky  —  "I  wish  I  had  known  some  pure 
young  creature  like  that  when  I  was  your  age. 
I  might  have  been  a  different  man  —  that  is,  be- 
fore I  was  married." 

Hugh  was  silent.  In  spite  of  the  genuine 
welcome  which  his  new  friends  had  given  him, 


ioo  EAGLE    BLOOD 

he  felt  the  instinctive  shrinking  of  an  English- 
man in  the  presence  of  sudden  familiarity,  for 
your  true-blue  Briton  makes  friends  slowly  and 
resents  the  demonstrative  stranger,  being  schooled 
to  suspicion  in  all  things  social ;  and  it  may  be 
that  this  intrained  coldness  of  Englishmen  to  the 
warm-hearted  and  effusive  people  of  America  has 
done  more  to  breed  bad  blood  and  uncharitable- 
ness  between  the  two  nations  than  all  other 
causes  combined. 

In  vain  the  feastings  and  resounding  professions 
of  international  friendship,  over  the  charmed  cup, 
if  the  blood-brotherhood  which  men  swear  at 
night,  when  they  are  drunk,  is  repudiated  in  the 
morning,  when  they  are  sober,  and  John  stares 
at  Jonathan  distantly  through  his  single  eyeglass, 
haughtily  formal  and  suspicious.  "  Mamma," 
whispers  the  daughter  of  the  travelling  British 
matron,  "  those  charming  American  ladies  at  our 
table  act  as  if  they  would  like  to  know  us." 
"  Then  you  may  be  quite  sure,"  answers  the 
careful  mother,  "  that  they  are  people  we  do  not 
want  to  know."  Who  among  you  is  there,  O 
you  Europe-wandering  sons  and  daughters  of  the 


EAGLE    BLOOD  101 

western  world !  that  has  not  secretly  repented  the 
too  easily  outstretched  hand,  and  inwardly  raged 
over  the  unmerited  British  snub  ? 

The  heir  of  the  Castlehursts,  with  eight  hun- 
dred years  of  family  pride  and  prejudice  behind 
him,  found  it  hard  to  restrain  the  tidal  influences 
of  his  blood.  Who  were  these  people  who 
opened  their  doors  and  hearts  so  readily  to 
a  stranger  without  credentials  ?  Why  should  he 
be  made  the  recipient  of  tender  domestic  con- 
fidences from  a  man  he  had  not  even  heard 
of  a  week  ago  ? 

"  You  see,"  said  Mr.  Martin,  as  though  he 
had  divined  his  guest's  thoughts,  "  I've  taken  an 
old  man's  liking  to  you  because  you're  just  about 
as  old  as  my  boy  would  have  been  if  he  had 
lived,  and  somehow  I  think  he'd  have  looked 
like  you;  and"  —  he  patted  Hugh's  shoulder 
gently  —  "I  want  to  keep  you  away  from  the 
sharks  that  have  eaten  up  the  souls  of  most  of 
the  young  fellows  I've  known  in  the  newspaper 
offices.  That's  why  I  wanted  you  to  come  out 
here  in  God's  own  green  woods,  where  you  can 
get  a  breath  of  pure  air  and  hear  the  birds  sing- 


102  EAGLE    BLOOD 

ing,  and  remember  once  in  a  while  that  the 
world  isn't  half  so  bad  as  life  in  the  Mail  office 
will  make  you  think  it  is." 

As  he  entered  the  cottage  and  glanced  about 
the  little  sitting-room,  Hugh  experienced  a 
peculiar  sensation  of  peace.  The  graceful  old 
mahogany  sofa,  the  carved  colonial  chairs,  the 
claw-footed  table,  with  its  lace  cover  and  big 
Bible ;  the  polished  yellow  brasses  in  the  fire- 
place, the  ancient  blue  plates  on  the  wall,  the 
portraits  of  Washington  and  Jefferson ;  the 
primitive  colored  picture  of  the  surrender  of 
Cornwallis ;  the  hanging  clock,  with  its  repre- 
sentation of  the  battle  of  the  Bonbomme  Richard 
and  the  Serapis^  painted  on  glass,  and  the  hun- 
dred other  evidences  of  a  home  not  made  in  one 
generation  —  instinct  with  patriotism  and  domes- 
tic love  —  how  different  it  all  was  from  the  op- 
pressive magnificence  of  the  Remington  residence  ! 

The  quiet  charm  of  the  house  grew  on  him, 
when  he  saw  the  cool  dining  room,  with  its  tawny 
rafters  of  hewn  oak,  its  curious  china  cupboards, 
and  well-worn  sideboard  of  mellow  satinwood ; 
and  the  bedroom  that  was  to  be  his,  tricked  out 


EAGLE    BLOOD  103 

in  dainty  chintz  hangings,  with  white  ruffles  finish- 
ing off  the  four-posted  bed ;  a  little  mahogany 
clothes-press,  a  bulgy  old  set  of  drawers,  with  a 
small  swinging  mirror  on  top ;  a  portrait  of 
Martha  Washington,  a  deep  chair  filled  with  pine- 
stuffed  cushions  that  scented  the  air,  and  a  full 
book-case. 

"  It's  all  very  simple  here,"  said  Mr.  Martin, 
when  they  returned  to  the  sitting  room,  "  but  we 
live  comfortably  and  within  our  means." 

"  It's  the  most  charming  house  I've  seen  in 
America,"  said  Hugh,  heartily. 

"  You  don't  call  New  York  American  ?  "  grum- 
bled the  old  man,  pressing  a  wad  of  tobacco  into 
the  bowl  of  his  meerschaum  pipe.  "  New  York's  a 
foreign  city,  an  international  metropolis  —  there's 
little  of  the  original  American  blood  in  her.  No, 
sir,  when  you  want  to  know  what  the  real  Ameri- 
can is  like,  you  must  get  out  in  the  country  among 
plain  folk.  You'll  never  find  out  among  the 
millionnaires  or  in  the  tenements,  where  people  are 
packed  together  like  cattle.  New  York —  bah  !  " 

He  lit  a  match  and  puffed  at  his  pipe.  Helen 
whisked  into  the  room  with  an  armful  of  roses. 


104  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Now,  daddy,"  she  exclaimed,  with  a  dainty 
nod,  "  I  won't  have  tobacco  smoke  in  this  room  !  " 

"  Didn't  think  you'd  catch  me  at  it,"  said  Mr. 
Martin,  laughing  and  shaking  his  head.  "  I'll 
take  Mr.  Dorsay  down  to  the  rocks  where  we  can 
smoke  in  peace.  You  can  join  us  there,  puss." 

"  And  this,"  said  the  girl,  holding  up  Hugh's 
silk  top  hat  with  an  air  of  comic  solemnity,  "  is 
this  majestic  object  to  be  carried  in  procession  or 
will  Mr.  Dorsay  wear  it?  " 

"  I'll  wear  a  straw  hat,"  said  Hugh,  promptly 
surrendering,  "  that  is,  if —  " 

"  Daddy  will  lend  you  one." 

"  Never  saw  such  a  girl,"  muttered  Mr.  Martin, 
with  a  look  of  pride,  as  he  thrust  an  immense  hat 
of  plaited  grass  on  his  guest's  head.  "She's  just 
like  that  all  the  time  —  orders  men  about  like  a 
—  well,  just  like  a  dear  little  American  girl.  I 
suppose  they're  all  the  same ;  it's  the  way  they're 
brought  up  —  and  a  mighty  good  way,  too." 

A  few  minutes'  walk,  over  a  path  through  the 
fragrant  woods,  brought  the  two  men  to  the  rocky 
shore  of  Long  Island  Sound,  and  they  seated 
themselves  on  a  huge,  moss-grown  ledge,  thrown 


EAGLE    BLOOD  105 

up  by  some  volcanic  upheaval,  the  sea  plashing 
gently  among  the  slimy  boulders  and  dull  weeds 
below,  and  the  sparkling  salt  flood  stretching 
away  to  the  timbered  shores  and  gray  cliffs  of 
Long  Island. 

It  was  a  scene  of  rare  beauty.  The  sun  wheeled 
resplendent  in  a  cloudless  sky,  and  a  gentle  breeze 
stirred  the  green  branches  that  shaded  the  flower- 
sprinkled  turf  rolling  back  from  the  dark  tumult 
of  rocks.  White  sails  drifted  with  the  tide,  and 
far  out  at  sea  to  the  left,  the  smoke  of  an  invisible 
steamship  trailed  along  the  horizon.  Somewhere 
in  the  shadowy  woods  an  oriole  sang  to  its  mate. 
The  air  was  electric  with  life. 

"  Pretty  good  out  here,  isn't  it  ?  "  observed 
the  veteran,  taking  a  deep  breath  of  the  fresh 
sea-air. 

"  It  reminds  me  of  the  English  coast." 

"  I  suppose  the  world's  pretty  good  everywhere 
—  when  you  get  away  from  men,"  mused  the  old 
man.  "  Men  seem  to  spoil  everything.  Now 
these  trees  —  see  how  substantial  they  look. 
That  one,  the  big  oak,  was  here  when  my  grand- 
father was  alive,  and  I  suppose  it'll  be  here  when 


io6  EAGLE    BLOOD 

my  grandson  is  born  —  that  is,  if  I  ever  have  a 
grandson." 

"  I  hope  so,  I'm  sure,"  remarked  Hugh. 

"  Eh  ?  What  ?  Well,  "  —  Mr.  Martin  puffed 
hard  at  his  pipe,  —  "I  suppose  my  girl  will  leave 
me  some  day."  Hugh  had  a  sudden  heart-thrill. 
"  She's  all  I  have  left,  but  it's  the  way  of  the 
world.  Grandson  —  ha  !  ha  !  —  that's  looking  a 
long  way  ahead." 

A  pair  of  yellow  butterflies  fluttered  around  the 
venerable  head.  Mr.  Martin  blew  a  whiff  of 
smoke  at  them. 

"  That  was  a  great  article  in  the  Mail"  he  said, 
changing  the  subject.  "  It'll  do  more  for  you 
than  all  the  letters  of  introduction  in  the  world. 
It  made  Helen  cry," — Hugh's  heart  stirred 
again,  — "  but  you  mustn't  let  on  I  told  you. 
She'd  take  my  head  off.  Of  course  that  story 
about  the  English  nobleman  was  all  imagina- 
tion." 

"  No,  it's  quite  true." 

"  Oh,  come  now,  my  son,  I  wasn't  born  yes- 
terday," said  Mr.  Martin,  with  a  shrewd  twinkle 
in  his  eyes.  "  That'll  do  for  the  great  American 


EAGLE    BLOOD  107 

people  —  God  bless  them  !  —  but  you  mustn't 
try  to  bamboozle  an  old  stager  like  me." 

"  It's  absolutely  true,"  protested  Hugh,  with 
an  embarrassed  smile. 

"You  mean  to  tell  me  that  there's  a  titled 
Englishman  floating  around  New  York  in  dis- 
guise and  hunting  a  living  ? " 

"I  do,  indeed." 

"  Well,  for  heaven's  sake,  if  he's  suffering  for 
friends,  bring  him  up  here  ;  we'll  find  a  corner 
for  him." 

"  I'm  keeping  his  secret." 

"  Well,  I  can  see  his  finish,"  said  the  old 
man,  knocking  the  ashes  out  of  his  pipe  and 
feeling  in  his  pocket  for  his  tobacco  pouch. 
"  He'll  hang  around  for  a  while  with  his  ideas 
of  self-made  manhood,  and  then  he'll  sneak 
home  again,  or  he'll  declare  himself  and  marry 
some  millionnaire's  daughter." 

"  I  think  not,"  said  Hugh,  calmly.  "  This 
chap  has  made  his  mind  up  to  stay  in  America 
and  work  up  as  high  as  he  can." 

"He  ought  to  marry  some  clever  American 
girl,"  suggested  Mr.  Martin.  "She'd  knock 


io8  EAGLE    BLOOD 

some  of  the  aristocratic  nonsense  out  of  his 
head  and  spur  him  up.  There's  nothing  like 
an  American  wife  to  simply  drag  a  man  to  the 
top  —  she's  bound  to  take  the  lead  if  he 
doesn't." 

"  Maybe  he  will  marry  an  American  girl  — 
if  she'll  take  him  as  he  is." 

"  Of  course,"  continued  the  old  man,  "  there 
are  some  American  girls  who  wouldn't  marry 
a  foreigner.  Now  there's  my  Helen.  She's 
opposed  to  international  marriages." 

"  But  you  don't  call  an  Englishman  a  for- 
eigner ?  —  that  is,  I  mean,  in  that  sense." 

"  And  why  not  ?  "  cried  a  sweet  voice,  as 
Helen  fluttered  forth  from  the  bushes  behind 
them  and  sat  down  beside  her  father,  a  fold 
of  her  dress  sweeping  against  Hugh's  feet. 

"We  were  speaking  of  international  marriages," 
explained  the  young  man,  reddening. 

"  Exactly  so,"  said  Helen,  brushing  her  brown 
tresses  back  from  her  dimpled  face  —  he  noticed 
for  the  first  time  the  strangely  beautiful  taper 
of  her  fingers  — "  and  you  forget  that  a  wife 
takes  the  nationality  of  her  husband,  that  an 


EAGLE    BLOOD  109 

American  girl  who  marries  an  Englishman  be- 
comes a  subject  of  the  British  crown." 

Mr.   Martin  shook  with  laughter. 

"  You're  in  for  it  now,  my  son,"  he  wheezed, 
as  the  smoke  got  into  his  throat. 

"  Would  that  be  such  a  dreadful  fate  ? " 
Hugh  spoke  gravely. 

"It  all  depends  on  the  girl,"  said  Helen, 
shading  her  eyes  with  her  hands  and  looking 
out  to  sea.  "  If  she  loved  her  country  she 
wouldn't  forswear  it.  Imagine  yourself  renounc- 
ing your  allegiance  to  Queen  Victoria  and  swear- 
ing allegiance  to  the  United  States ;  yet  that's 
just  the  sort  of  thing  an  Englishman  asks  an 
American  girl  to  do  when  he  proposes  marriage." 

"  But  if  she  loves  him,  surely  a  mere  question 
of  political  opinion  ought  not  to  stand  —  " 

"  I  think  I  know  what  you  mean,  Mr.  Dor- 
say,"  said  the  girl,  in  a  low  tone,  as  she  looked 
him  straight  in  the  eyes,  her  cheeks  aflame  and 
her  brown  eyes  shining  with  intelligence.  "  An 
English  girl  may  be  trained  to  set  her  emotions 
against  her  conscience,  to  look  upon  her  patri- 
otic convictions  as  feminine  impertinences  to 


no  EAGLE    BLOOD 

be  surrendered  to  the  first  stranger  who  knocks 
at  her  heart ;  but  my  grandfather,  who  com- 
manded an  American  regiment  in  the  war  of 
1812,  and  carried  a  British  bullet  in  his  shoulder 
to  the  day  of  his  death,  taught  me  to  love  my 
country  and  its  free  institutions  better  than 
anything  else,  except  God  —  and  daddy."  She 
stroked  her  father's  hand  affectionately. 

The  thrill  of  earnestness  in  the  girl's  voice 
and  the  look  of  exaltation  in  her  face  warned 
Hugh  that  he  was  treading  on  sacred  ground. 
She  was  so  slight,  so  tenderly  fair,  so  divinely 
childlike  —  and  yet  she  revealed  a  depth  of 
feeling  that  astonished  him.  He  found  himself 
comparing  her  to  the  girls  he  had  known  in 
England,  haughty  and  opinionless,  or  gushingly 
sentimental,  trained  to  shrink  from  knowledge 
of  public  matters,  and  to  hear  the  views  of  male 
society  with  elegant  indifference  or  simpering 
enthusiasm  ;  leaving  the  unbecoming  discussions 
of  politics  to  wrinkled  dowagers  and  beautiless 
spinsters.  But  here  was  a  fresh  young  creature 
uttering  her  patriotic  love  with  a  simplicity  and 
artless  eloquence  that  shamed  his  own  apathy, 


EAGLE    BLOOD  in 

a  face  beautiful  with  the  light  of  an  enfranchised 
soul.  His  heart  leaped  to  her,  and  his  pulse 
danced  as  he  caught  a  breath  of  the  sweet  peas 
fastened  in  her  belt.  The  sky  seemed  to  grow 
bluer,  and  the  glory  of  the  sun  on  the  water 
entered  his  being. 

"  But  we  mustn't  talk  about  such  things  now," 
she  said,  rising  to  her  feet  and  letting  the  breeze 
blow  her  white  dress  into  graceful  curves  around 
her  bewitching  little  figure.  "  I'm  saving  you 
up  for  another  time,  Mr.  Dorsay.  See  how  the 
tide  runs  against  the  rocks  over  there.  It's  so 
exciting  to  see  the  water  boiling  into  spray,  and" 
—  she  glanced  roguishly  at  Hugh  — "  it's  the 
same  water  that  has  washed  the  shores  of  merry 
England,  where  the  tin  bath-tubs  come  from  — 
the  English  sea,  the  French  sea,  the  German  sea, 
the  American  sea —  come,  Mr.  Dorsay." 

Hugh  rose,  offering  his  hand,  and  she  leaned 
shyly  on  him  as  they  made  their  way  with  minc- 
ing, careful  steps  along  the  spray-drenched  rock 
to  a  jutting  crag,  covered  with  pale  barnacles 
and  jade-green  seaweeds,  where  the  tide 
swirled  madly  and  threw  up  jewelled  fountains 


ii2  EAGLE    BLOOD 

in  the  sunlight.  Mr.  Martin  smoked  thought- 
fully and  watched  the  youthful  figures  standing 
out  against  the  sky.  The  sight  seemed  to  please 
him,  and  he  smiled  and  blinked. '  The  world  was 
pleasant  to  look  at  this  summer  day. 

The  breeze  blew  fresher  and  the  curling  waves 
heaved  and  hissed  against  the  rock,  receding  with 
a  hoarse,  sucking  noise,  only  to  return  with 
increased  fury.  The  spray  leaped  higher  and 
higher.  A  great  white  steam  yacht  moved  out 
toward  the  open  sea. 

"That's  the  Invincible"  said  Helen.  "She 
belonged  to  Mr.  Stewart,  the  greatest  millionnaire 
in  the  world,  who  died  last  month." 

She  turned  toward  her  father,  poised  on  the 
edge  of  the  crag,  like  some  fair  spirit  of  the 
summer.  "  Daddy,  doesn't  it  make  you  feel 
envious  to  see  that  splendid  yacht  ? " 

"  No,"  cried  the  old  man,  removing  the  pipe 
from  his  lips  and  stretching  his  limbs  out  com- 
fortably ;  "no,  I  can't  say  that  it  does.  I'd 
rather  be  a  poor  newspaper  man  and  be  alive, 
than  be  the  richest  man  in  the  world  and  be 
dead." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  113 

Hugh  fumbled  unconsciously  in  his  pocket 
for  his  single  eyeglass  and,  finding  it,  set  it 
against  his  eye,  out  of  sheer  habit. 

"  Dear  me,"  said  Helen,  with  a  pretty  air 
of  surprise,  "  how  distinguished  and  foreign  we 
look !  " 

Hugh  straightened  his  narrow  shoulders.  He 
was  determined  to  take  no  notice  of  her  remark. 

"  It  must  be  hard  to  keep  a  little  thing  like 
that  in  place,"  she  continued.  "  Just  think  of 
the  horrid  wrinkles  it  makes." 

He  turned  his  face  toward  her,  and  the  rays 
of  the  sun  reflected  in  the  monocle  struck  her 
eyes  with  blinding  fierceness. 

"Why,  you  look  like  some  dragon  —  " 

Her  foot  slipped  on  the  moist  rock,  and  with 
a  little  cry  of  terror  she  plunged  forward  into 
the  foaming  water,  striking  her  head  on  the  lower 
spur  of  the  ledge.  A  white  wave  dashed  her 
body  forward  against  the  cruel  shore  and  then 
drew  her  out  into  the  swift  tide,  in  which  she 
sank,  turning  her  face  upward  as  she  disappeared. 

Mr.  Martin  uttered  a  cry  of  horror  and  strug- 
gled to  his  feet. 


n4  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  My  little  girl !  "  he  shrieked,  as  he  bounded 
toward  the  edge  of  the  rock.  "  My  darling  !  my 
heart's  blood !  " 

For  a  moment  Hugh  stood  foolishly  looking 
at  the  white  face  and  the  slim  form  receding  in 
the  heavy  water.  The  old  man's  voice  roused 
him,  and,  without  hesitating,  he  leaped  into  the 
sea  and  struck  out  boldly."  A  wave  flung  him 
against  the  rock  and  cut  his  head,  but  he  swam 
with  all  his  strength,  and  catching  a  gleam  of  the 
trailing  white  dress  in  the  depths,  he  dived  toward 
it.  Failing  to  reach  the  girl,  he  rose  to  the  sur- 
face and  looked  about.  An  instant  later  he  saw 
her  body  rising  a  few  feet  away.  Several  strong 
strokes  brought  him  to  her  ;  and  he  placed  his  left 
arm  around  her  small  waist,  her  head  falling  help- 
lessly on  his  shoulder,  her  sweet  face  touching  his, 
and  her  brown  hair  clinging  about  his  neck. 

Like  most  Englishmen,  Hugh  was  an  expert 
swimmer,  but  his  clothes  were  saturated  and  his 
feet  were  tangled  in  the  skirts  of  the  unconscious 
girl.  He  swam  with  his  right  arm  and  lowered 
his  lovely  burden  to  ease  the  strain,  summoning 
up  all  his  strength  and  will  as  he  heard  Mr. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  115 

Martin's  shouts  of  encouragement.  The  wind 
was  blowing  hard  and  the  waves  grew  larger.  A 
swishing  swell  carried  him  against  a  sharp  reef,  and 
the  undercurrent  drew  him  under  with  a  horrible 
gurgling  sound.  He  fought  for  life  with  desperate 
energy,  but  his  feet  were  hampered  by  the  folds 
of  the  dress,  and  although  he  managed  to  reach 
the  surface  of  the  water  again,  he  felt  weak. 
Strange  fiery  sparks  flashed  before  his  eyes,  and  a 
thousand  voices  seemed  to  call  him  downward. 
There  was  an  intense  pain  in  his  arm,  where  he 
had  struck  the  reef.  He  could  see  the  green 
tree-tops  of  the  shore,  as  the  sea  swept  him  on, 
and  the  white  gulls  skimming  lazily  over  the 
water.  He  looked  at  the  dear  little  face  resting 
so  quietly  on  his  shoulder,  the  long  eyelashes  wet 
and  the  tender  lips  apart.  His  youth  cried  for 
life,  but  his  strength  was  gone.  Suddenly  he  felt 
her  arm  about  his  neck.  "  Dear  daddy,"  she 
murmured  sleepily.  Then  a  sudden  darkness 
came,  and  as  he  ceased  struggling,  he  heard  loud 
cries  and  the  thumping  of  oars. 

The  fisherman's  boat  arrived  just  in  time.     A 
grizzled  oarsman  dragged  the  languid  bodies  out 


n6  EAGLE   BLOOD 

of  the  water  and  laid  them,  still  clasped  together, 
in  the  oozy  bottom  of  his  little  craft. 

"  Well,  I'll  be  durned  ef  it  ain't  old  Martin's 
purty  darter  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Here,  boy,"  —  to 
a  ragged  urchin  who  sat  in  the  stern  of  the  boat, 
with  a  look  of  horror  in  his  freckled  face, — 
"  gimme  that  pail  o'  water  an'  be  dum  quick." 

He  dashed  the  water  in  Helen's  face,  and  rais- 
ing her  head  on  his  knees,  rubbed  her  hands  and 
temples  vigorously. 

"  Never  you  mind  this  here,"  he  roared  to  his 
frightened  assistant.  "  Jest  get  hold  o'  them  oars 
and  pull  fer  th'  beach  like  th'  devil  wuz  after  you. 
Poor  little  maidy,  poor  little  beauty."  A  tear 
rolled  down  his  brown  face  as  he  stroked  the 
small  hands. 

Helen  stirred  and  moaned.  "  Daddy,  daddy, 
dear  daddy,"  she  whispered. 

"  Dear  little  missy,"  said  the  rough  boatman, 
caressingly,  lifting  the  frail  figure  in  his  arms  and 
seating  her  against  the  side  of  the  boat. 

Helen  opened  her  eyes  and  shuddered.  Seeing 
Hugh's  prostrate  form  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat, 
she  covered  her  face  with  her  hands  and  sobbed. 


EAGLE   BLOOD  117 

The  youth  lay  on  his  back,  one  arm  thrown  across 
his  breast  and  his  eyes  closed. 

"Thar,  thar,"  —  the  boatman  put  his  arm 
around  her,  —  "  's  all  right  now  —  snooked  you 
outen  th'  water  jest  'n  time." 

Opening  her  eyes  again  she  started  up  and  fell 
fainting  across  her  young  saviour. 

"  Now,  now,  little  one,"  muttered  the  man,  lift- 
ing her  light  body  in  his  arms,  "  don't  worry  'bout 
him.  He'll  keep.  Nuthin'  th'  matter  with  him, 
on'y  jest  his  breath's  giv'  out.  He'll  be  kickin' 
'round  right  'nough  in  a  couple  o'  minutes." 

"  Is  he  —  "  she  gasped,  rousing  herself. 

"  He's  jest  es  live  es  you  be,"  answered  the 
boatman.  "  Kinder  tired  out.  See  thar,  now." 

Hugh  moved  his  hand  and  groaned. 

"  He  made  a  spunky  fight  for  you,  little  one." 

Helen  knelt  beside  the  white  face  and  kissed 
the  damp  brow.  For  a  moment  her  cheeks 
flushed.  A  faint  smile  came  into  the  boyish  face. 
Hugh  stretched  his  hands  out,  shivered,  and 
uttered  a  little  cry  of  suffering. 

The  boat  heaved  in  the  surf  and  grated  on  the 
gravelly  shore.  A  group  of  men  ran  down  to 


n8  EAGLE    BLOOD 

meet  it,  and  in  the  midst  of  them  was  Helen's  father, 
bareheaded  and  panting. 

"  Oh,  thank  God,  my  child ! "  he  cried  as  he 
clasped  the  pale  girl  to  his  breast  and  kissed  her 
tenderly.  "  Thank  God  for  all  His  mercies,  my 
dear  one." 

Hugh  was  carried  out  of  the  boat  and  laid  on 
a  grassy  knoll  under  a  wide-spreading  maple. 
Mr.  Martin  bent  over  him.  The  youth's  face 
was  pale  and  drawn,  but  there  was  a  look  of  reso- 
lution in  the  fine,  thin  features.  The  monocle 
was  still  held  in  place  against  the  right  eye,  giving 
the  countenance  a  curious  touch  of  hauteur. 

"  By  gum,  thet  thar's  a  game  'un,"  said  the 
boatman.  "  Never  let  go  his  peep-glass.  Must 
hev'  bull-terrier  strain  in  him." 

"  He's  an  Englishman,"  said  Mr.  Martin. 

"  Them  thar  Britishers  hev'  thar  good  pints, 
I'll  admit.  They  got  spunk,  sir ;  by  gum  !  they 
got  spunk." 

"  And  now,  Tom  Kitcher,"  said  Mr.  Martin, 
"  I  feel  that  I  owe  my  daughter's  life  to  you." 

"  No,  siree,"  protested  the  boatman,  "  it's  him 
thet  did't,"  jerking  his  thumb  toward  Hugh; 


EAGLE    BLOOD  119 

"  hung  on  t'  th'  finish."  He  shook  his  griz- 
zled head.  "  Greater  love  heth  no  man  then  this, 
thet  a  man  lay  down  his  life  fer  his  friend  —  thet's 
Scriptur'.  But,  'scuse  me,  Mr.  Martin,  ef  I'm 
takin'  liberties  ;  mebbe  they  wusn't  friends." 

The  old  journalist  drew  his  daughter's  head 
down  on  his  broad  breast. 

"  I  hope  they'll  be  friends,"  he  said  soberly. 
Then  father  and  daughter  knelt  in  the  grass  beside 
the  exile. 


CHAPTER  V 

WHEN  Hugh  awoke  he  found  himself  lying 
between  scented  sheets  in  the  little  bedroom  of 
Mr.  Martin's  cottage.  His  head  throbbed  with 
pain,  and  his  mouth  was  dry.  A  tall,  thin  young 
woman,  with  intensely  black  eyes,  stood  beside 
the  bed  waving  a  palm-leaf  fan  over  him.  She 
was  dressed  in  a  loose,  gray  gown,  and  a  green 
crystal  heart  hung  from  her  lean  neck  on  a  slender 
gold  chain. 

"  What  has  happened  ?  "  he  asked  faintly. 

"  'Ssh,"  whispered  the  young  woman.  "  You 
came  near  drowning.  Your  head  was  hurt,  and 
you've  had  some  fever."  There  was  a  peculiar 
purring  softness  in  her  voice.  "  You  mustn't 
talk ;  the  doctor  has  forbidden  it." 

The  room  seemed  to  spin  around.  Through 
the  window  he  could  see  the  summer  sky.  A 
great  scarlet  butterfly  hovered  in  the  casement 
and  then  darted  away.  From  the  spotless  canopy 
of  the  four-posted  bed  a  Dresden  china  cupid 


EAGLE    BLOOD  121 

swung  on  a  cord,  its  arrow  aimed  at  his  head. 
The  smell  of  honeysuckles  made  the  air  heavy. 
Hugh  blinked  at  the  young  woman,  wondering 
why  she  was  there.  Her  snapping  black  eyes 
fascinated  him.  He  gazed  at  her  in  silence. 

"  I'm  Miss  Grush  of  the  Mail"  she  purred, 
looking  intently  at  him  and  laying  her  strong, 
warm  hand  on  his  forehead  with  a  stroking  motion. 

"  Miss  —  " 

"  Miss  Grush,"  she  went  on.  "  No,  you 
needn't  think ;  you  never  set  eyes  on  me  until 
this  minute.  I  used  to  be  a  trained  nurse,  and 
Mr.  Irkins  asked  me  to  take  care  of  you  when 
he  heard  of  your  accident  —  Mr.  Irkins,  the 
owner  of  the  Mail,  you  know.  There,  now,"  — 
the  purring  sound  made  him  sleepy,  —  "just  shut 
your  eyes  —  so,  so,  so ; "  she  drew  the  tips  of 
her  fingers  across  his  eyelids.  "  Don't  resist,  but 
try  to  go  to  sleep." 

He  opened  his  eyes  again,  and  the  power  of 
her  glance  sent  little  electric  waves  through  his 
body.  Her  brows  were'  knit,  and  there  was  a 
weird  expression  of  concentration  and  authority 
in  her  dark,  oriental  face. 


122  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  I  can  hypnotize  you  if  you'll  let  me,"  she 
whispered,  bringing  her  black  eyes  close  to  his. 
"  You  are  blue-eyed  and  blond  — just  the  pale 
complexion  for  a  subject.  It'll  take  away  the 
pain  and  give  you  rest.  So,  so,  so,  —  they  do 
it  in  the  French  hospitals,  —  so,  so,"  —  stroking 
his  forehead  slowly  and  making  her  voice 
drowsy. 

He  resisted  the  magnetic  influence  that  was 
stealing  through  him,  and  a  sudden  rush  of 
memory  brought  to  his  mind  the  struggle  for 
life  in  the  sea. 

"Miss   Martin?"  he  groaned,  "is  she  — " 

"  Safe  and  sound,"  answered  Miss  Grush. 
"  She'll  be  here  presently,  but  you  really  mustn't 
speak;  I'll  do  the  talking." 

With  a  noiseless,  catlike  tread  she  crossed  the 
room  and  brought  a  cool  drink,  which  she  held 
to  his  greedy  lips.  Then  she  waved  the  fan 
over  him.  There  was  an  interval  of  silence. 
Their  eyes  met. 

"  You've  been  talking  a  good  deal  in  your 
fever,"  she  said  with  a  mysterious  smile. 

Hugh  avoided  her  eyes.     They  troubled  him. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  123 

Miss  Crush  uttered  a  soft,  mirthless  laugh,  and 
tapped  him  playfully  with  the  fan. 

"You're  a  thoroughbred,"  she  remarked. 

At  that  moment  a  gentle  step  and  the  rustle 
of  a  skirt  announced  Helen.  She  came  into 
the  room  all  light  and  sweetness,  with  a  look 
of  affection  and  pity  in  her  wan  face.  A  white 
band  wound  about  her  little  head  gave  a  touch 
of  meekness  to  her  beauty.  She  seemed  so 
slight,  so  airy,  so  fashioned  for  love,  as  she 
stood  for  a  moment  poised  on  tiptoe,  with  a 
red  rose  in  her  hand. 

"  I'll  leave  you  alone  with  your  hero,"  purred 
Miss  Crush,  gliding  out  of  the  room  and  paus- 
ing for  an  instant  at  the  door  to  watch  Hugh 
out  of  the  tail  of  her  eye. 

That  was  a  week  of  transcendent  peace  and 
happiness  for  Hugh.  Under  the  influence  of 
Helen's  gentle  ministrations  his  recovery  was 
swift.  She  told  him  stories,  read  to  him,  and 
insisted  on  serving  his  food.  Mr.  Martin  occa- 
sionally sat  by  his  bedside,  and  regaled  him  with 
shrewd  discourses  on  men  and  things.  The 


i24  EAGLE    BLOOD 

kindly  old  journalist  was  a  sort  of  human  library. 
He  knew  all  the  famous  men,  the  politicians, 
the  writers,  the  financiers,  the  actors,  the  musi- 
cians, the  artists,  the  athletes,  the  clergymen ; 
and  his  tales  of  news-hunting  for  the  Mail  in 
the  highways  and  byways  of  New  York  were 
colored  with  a  quaint,  good-natured  philosophy 
that  made  the  young  man  love  him.  His  honest 
face  would  kindle  with  humor  as  he  talked 
about  the  proprietor  of  the  Mail. 

"  Irkins  is  a  wonderful  creature,"  he  would 
say.  "  He's  honest  enough,  but  when  a  moral 
impulse  gets  hold  of  him  he  wants  to  stand  on 
the  roof-top  and  call  attention  to  it.  He  lives 
and  thinks  and  has  his  emotions  in  full  sight 
of  the  public,  —  like  St.  Simon,  a  dirty  Syrian 
monk,  who  lived  for  nigh  fifty  years  on  top 
of  a  pillar,  so  that  everybody  could  see  how 
holy  he  was.  When  the  circulation  of  the  Mail 
increases  he  considers  it  a  public  endorsement, 
—  although  the  extra  sales  may  be  caused  by  a 
prize  fight  or  a  divorce  scandal,  —  and  writes 
solemn  editorials,  consecrating  himself  to  the 
sacred  cause  of  the  people." 


EAGLE    BLOOD 


125 


And  now  Helen  would  trip  into  the  room 
and  drive  the  old  man  away,  and  Miss  Crush 
would  purr  insinuatingly  as  she  readjusted  the 
bandage  on  the  patient's  head.  If  the  black- 
eyed  nurse  had  penetrated  the  secret  of  Hugh's 
title,  she  gave  him  no  hint  of  it,  and  although 
he  tried  by  guarded  sallies  to  discover  what  he 
had  said  in  his  delirium,  she  evaded  his  covert 
questionings  and  smiled.  In  spite  of  the  hawky 
sharpness  of  her  eyes  and  the  indefinable  atmos- 
phere of  secrecy  and  mysticism  which  she  carried 
with  her  in  her  silent  glidings,  he  felt  a  thrill 
of  physical  pleasure,  mingled  with  a  nameless 
dread,  when  she  touched  him  with  her  big,  warm 
hands.  There  was  an  unspoken  familiarity  in 
her  attitude  which  disturbed  and  puzzled  him. 
And  if  he  had  seen  her  eyes  glitter  as  she  read 
and  reread  his  story  of  the  exiled  English  noble- 
man in  the  seclusion  of  her  chamber,  and  had 
heard  her  shrill  laughter,  his  mind  might  have 
been  even  more  unquiet ;  for  Miss  Grush  had 
heard  enough  in  his  ravings  of  home  to  explain 
the  passionate  and  despairing  article  in  the  Mail. 

Then  Helen  would  sit  beside  him  and  perk 


126  EAGLE    BLOOD 

her  dear  little  brown  head,  as  she  talked  of 
everything  under  the  sun ;  now  picking  a  flower 
to  pieces  and  explaining  its  structure,  now  saucily 
arraigning  the  British  Empire  for  its  wars  of 
conquest,  now  glorifying  the  simple  history  of 
her  own  country,  and  now  analyzing  a  compli- 
cated stitch  of  needlework. 

"  Ah,  but  you  seem  to  forget  that  your  coun- 
try and  mine  have  the  same  history,"  he  would 
say,  when  the  little  patriot  pressed  him  too  hard. 

"  The  same  history  ? "  The  dimples  in  her 
cheeks  would  come  and  go.  "  Your  history  is 
our  history,  but  our  history  isn't  your  history, 
you  wicked  monarchist.  Up  to  the  war  for 
Independence  our  history  was  the  same,  but  since 
then  we've  been  making  history  for  ourselves. 
We  can  claim  Alfred  and  Cromwell  and  H  amp- 
den,  but  we  can  also  boast  of  Washington,  who 
was  greater  than  them  all,  and  Jefferson  and 
Jackson  and  Grant  and  Lincoln.  Now  you 
know  that  you'd  like  to  claim  Lincoln  as  your 
countryman,  wouldn't  you  ?  " 

"  I  know  some  one  else  —  some  one  who  isn't 
dead  and  isn't  even  a  statesman  —  whom  I'd 


EAGLE    BLOOD  127 

like  to  claim  as  a  compatriot,"  and  his  blue  eyes 
would  dwell  tenderly  on  her. 

"  Pooh !  That's  the  way  with  the  benighted 
Briton ;  always  the  argumentum  ad  bominem. 
When  you're  beaten,  you  become  personal. 
Now,  sir,  I'll  call  Miss  Crush,  and  you  shall 
have  a  double  dose  of  medicine  as  a  penalty." 

And  when  at  last  he  was  strong  enough  to 
venture  out-of-doors,  Helen  accompanied  him 
in  many  a  pleasing  ramble  through  the  fragrant, 
shadowy  woods,  and  he  leaned  on  her  arm  and 
listened  to  her  sweet  voice  and  thanked  God 
humbly  for  her  companionship. 

She  was  so  arch,  so  feminine,  so  full  of  youth- 
ful grace  and  loveliness,  and  yet  so  perfectly  bal- 
anced, so  shrewd  and  frank.  Her  knowledge 
and  cultivation  amazed  the  young  aristocrat, 
accustomed  to  the  governess-made  misses  of 
England.  She  seemed  to  be  unconscious  of 
her  learning,  and  talked  of  matters  that  taxed 
even  his  university  training  with  the  artless 
candor  of  a  child. 

Hugh's  education  had  given  him  the  conven- 
tional male  British  view  of  women,  so  well  con- 


128  EAGLE    BLOOD 

fessed  by  Lord  Chesterfield:  "Women  are  only 
children  of  a  larger  growth ;  they  have  an  enter- 
taining tattle,  and  sometimes  wit ;  but  for  solid, 
reasoning  good  sense,  I  never  in  my  life  knew 
one  that  had  it,  or  who  reasoned  or  acted  conse- 
quentially for  four  and  twenty  hours  together.  .  .  . 
A  man  of  sense  only  trifles  with  them,  plays  with 
them,  humors  and  flatters  them,  as  he  does  with  a 
sprightly,  forward  child  ;  but  he  neither  consults 
them  about,  nor  trusts  them  with,  serious  mat- 
ters ;  though  he  often  makes  them  believe  that 
he  does  both,  which  is  the  thing  in  the  world 
that  they  are  proud  of."  And  Hugh,  looking 
down  from  this  height  upon  the  milk  and 
roses  of  insular  womankind,  had  easily  adopted 
an  inward  attitude  of  chivalrous  condescension 
toward  all  the  daughters  of  Eve.  They  were 
to  be  petted  and  flattered  and  amused  and  flirted 
with  and  protected  —  and  they  were  even  to  be 
respected,  sometimes,  for  their  goodness  and 
charity  —  but  it  never  occurred  to  his  exalted 
mind  that  a  woman  could  be  his  equal  in  the 
large  matters  of  life.  It  is  true  that  the  horizon 
of  his  experience  had  been  narrow.  His  knowl- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  129 

edge  of  womanhood  had  been  confined  to  a  few 
demure  maidens  in  his  native  county,  who  made 
soft  eyes  at  him  and  giggled  prodigiously  over 
his  profound  sayings ;  the  stiff  matrons  who 
frowned  upon  the  escapades  of  his  adolescence, 
and  sat  with  such  forbidding  dignity  in  the 
dining-hall  of  Battlecragie  Castle  ;  and  the  frivo- 
lous, flirting,  fiddle-faddling,  shallow  creatures 
of  London's  social  vortex.  Then,  of  course, 
there  was  Mademoiselle  Ballafanti,  of  the  Covent 
Garden  ballet,  divinely  ordained  for  glorious 
midnight  suppers,  but  utterly  without  heart  or 
reason.  There  was  one  woman  for  whose  mental 
acuteness  he  had  an  awful  respect,  a  shrivelled, 
sour-faced  countess,  who  would  have  married 
her  only  daughter  to  an  unspeakable  South 
African  millionnaire  had  not  the  gentle  victim 
died  before  the  willing  Right  Reverend  could 
pronounce  the  mystic  syllables  that  can  unite 
hell  and  heaven  ransomlessly  on  earth  —  a  social 
tyrant  before  whose  terrible  tongue  even  his 
stern  grandfather  trembled.  But  of  maidenhood 
adorably  poised  between  fearless  intelligence  and 
feminine  modesty  he  was  totally  ignorant.  And 


ijo  EAGLE    BLOOD 

thus  the  soul  of  a  continent  was  partly  revealed 
to  him  in  the  companion  of  his  walks.  He 
began  to  understand  the  land  in  which  woman 
has  reached  her  own  estate. 

Needless  to  say,  Miss  Grush  returned  to 
New  York  when  Hugh  was  able  to  walk 
about. 

"  She's  a  remarkable  woman,"  said  Helen  one 
day  when  they  were  sitting  under  the  shade  of  a 
huge  oak.  "  She  has  dabbled  in  all  kinds  of 
oriental  mysteries.  Although  she  has  been  very 
kind  to  me,  I  confess  that  I'm  afraid  of  her. 
She  has  such  strange  eyes.  Every  time  she 
looks  at  me  in  that  mysterious  way  I  feel  as  if 
I  had  done  something  wrong.  No  one  knows 
where  she  comes  from  or  who  she  is.  She  knows 
all  about  theosophy  and  Christian  science,  and  all 
sorts  of  occult  things." 

"  A  new  woman,"  suggested  Hugh. 

"  In  a  way,  yes ;  but  it's  unfair  to  the  new 
woman  to  suppose  that  she's  always  like  Miss 
Grush.  The  new  woman  in  America  is  simply 
the  woman  who  believes  that  she  has  as  good  a 
right  to  aspire  to  a  career  in  any  of  the  trades 


EAGLE    BLOOD  131 

and  professions  as  a  man,  and  who  sets  out  to 
claim  her  right." 

"  And  you  —  do  you  like  the  new  woman  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  don't  dislike  her.  It's  all  a  matter  of 
taste.  Personally,  I  prefer  the  idea  of  the  old- 
fashioned  woman ;  I'm  just  selfish  enough  to 
love  the  sheltered  position  which  the  world  gives 
me  because  I'm  not  a  man.  I  don't  want  to  earn 
my  living  if  daddy  is  willing  to  earn  it  for  me, 
and  —  well,  I'm  not  sorry  I  was  born  a  girl;  I 
suppose  it's  because  I  was  lucky  enough  to  be 
born  in  America." 

"  But  think  of  the  social  possibilities  of  an 
English  girl  —  the  ancient  titles,  the  marvellously 
organized  leisure  class,  the  brilliant  ceremonies, 
the  romantic  conditions,  the  social  system  reach- 
ing to  the  throne  itself!  " 

"  Dear  me,"  said  Helen,  opening  her  brown 
eyes  in  mock  wonder,  "  how  enticing  it  sounds  ! 
But  do  you  really  think,  —  now  be  honest, — 
that  any  girl  in  the  world  could  be  half  as  happy 
with  a  title  as  she  would  be  with  the  privileges 
of  an  American  girl  ?  —  I  mean  really  happy." 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  the  young  Englishman, 


132  EAGLE    BLOOD 

musingly.  "  I've  an  idea  that  all  women  love 
aristocracy  deep  down  in  their  hearts.  They  are 
too  fastidious  to  admire  the  unclean  mob.  Democ- 
racy may  be  a  fine  thing  in  its  way,  but  it's  not 
beautiful,  and  its  manners  are  vile.  Somehow  I 
feel  that  although  a  woman  may  see  something 
sentimental  in  democracy,  she  is  all  the  time 
secretly  shrinking  from  its  rudeness  and  longing 
for  the  graceful  and  ornamental  —  really  I  do." 

"And  I  believe,"  said  Helen,  quietly,  "that 
the  Queen  of  England  herself  would  not  object 
to  changing  places  with  an  American  girl  if  she 
knew  what  it  was  to  live  among  men  who  ask 
nothing  for  themselves  which  they  are  not  willing 
to  grant  to  others." 

"  The  right  to  vote,  for  instance." 

"  When  the  women  of  America  want  to  vote, 
they  will  have  the  right  to  vote." 

"  By  Jove,  I  believe  it ;  I  do  indeed !  "  cried 
Hugh,  enthusiastically.  "  They  deserve  anything 
they  want.  I  wonder  how  the  deuce  it  is  we 
know  so  little  about  American  girls  in  England 
—  real  American  girls." 

"  Or  American  men,"  added  Helen,  earnestly. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  133 

"  No,  I  think  we  understand  the  American 
man.  If  he  were  like  the  American  woman  —  " 

"You  forget,  Mr.  Dorsay,  that  the  American 
woman  is  the  creature  of  conditions  made  by  the 
American  man  ;  and  I  think  that  the  men  of  my 
country  are  the  dearest,  noblest,  kindest  men  in 
human  history,  a  thousand  times  finer  than  the 
knights  who  used  to  fight  in  honor  of  the  women 
they  carefully  locked  up  in  their  castles  to  keep 
them  true." 

That  night  the  Martins  had  an  old-time 
American  dinner,  with  roast  turkey,  green  corn, 
sweet  potatoes,  and  scalloped  oysters ;  and  al- 
though Hugh  ate  corn  on  the  cob  with  as  much 
patience  and  grace  as  he  could  command,  he 
could  not  refrain  from  expressing  his  surprise. 

"  It  makes  one  feel  like  a  horse  when  he's 
munching  it,"  he  explained,  "  but  it  has  a  de- 
licious flavor.  I  shall  never  see  a  quadruped 
eating  maize  again  without  envy."  Whereupon 
the  three  laughed  until  the  tears  came. 

"  Speaking  of  corn,"  said  Mr.  Martin,  as  he 
laid  down  his  third  cob,  "  I've  an  idea.  The 
air's  so  cool  to-night  that  I  think  we  might  have 


134  EAGLE    BLOOD 

a  log  fire  and  teach  Mr.  Dorsay  how  to  pop 
corn  ;  ever  see  it  done  ? " 

"  No,  but  I  should  be  delighted,  I'm  sure," 
said  Hugh. 

"  Good,  good  !  "  exclaimed  Helen,  clapping  her 
hands.  "  Your  education  is  just  beginning. 
And  after  you've  popped  corn,  you  shall  eat 
corn  mush  and  corn  pone,  —  that's  southern, 
you  know  —  and  corn  fritters  and  —  " 

"  Corned  beef,"  said  Mr.  Martin. 

"  Now,  daddy,  do  be  serious  !  " 

How  the  logs  crackled  and  blazed  on  the 
broad  brick  hearth  !  How  the  red  flames  roared 
up  the  chimney  !  And,  when  a  bed  of  glowing 
coals  had  been  prepared,  how  the  heat  made  one 
perspire  !  It  was  so  delightful  to  watch  the  slim 
little  beauty  moving  about  the  fireside  while  the 
scarlet  lights  danced  through  the  misty  web  of 
her  white  dress  and  shone  in  her  sparkling  eyes. 
What  jokes  the  old  journalist  cracked  and  what 
tales  he  told  of  corn-poppings  and  corn-roastings 
in  earlier  days  !  Then  there  was  a  huge  jug  of 
old  cider  —  such  cider  ! 

Presently  the  trim  maid  brought  the  popper,  — 


EAGLE    BLOOD  135 

a  wire  box  on  the  end  of  a  long  stick,  —  and 
Helen  shelled  the  corn  into  it,  twisting  the  little 
cobs  in  her  white  hands,  while  Hugh  held  the 
handle  of  the  popper. 

There  was  a  small  handful  of  corn  in  the  pop- 
per when  Hugh  held  it  over  the  coals.  It  barely 
covered  the  bottom  of  the  wire  box. 

"  Why  not  fill  it  up  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  You  just  wait,"  said  Mr.  Martin. 

"  I  really  don't  see  much  fun  in  this.  It's 
rather  tame." 

Suddenly  the  corn  began  to  explode.  Hugh 
dropped  the  popper  and  leaped  to  his  feet  with 
an  outcry  of  alarm.  The  old  man  shrieked  with 
laughter.  Hugh  seized  the  handle  again  and 
held  the  corn  over  the  fire,  in  spite  of  the  contest 
that  raged  in  the  popper. 

"  It's  tremendously  exciting,"  he  cried. 

"  Keep  jiggling  it  or  it'll  burn,"  commanded 
Helen.  "  Oh,  you're  spoiling  it ;  I  can  smell  it 
burning."  And  Hugh  knelt  down  and  danced 
the  popper  over  the  coals  till  the  perspiration 
streamed  down  his  face  aad  the  snowy  pop-corn, 
in  one  last  startling  volley  of  explosions,  burst 


136  EAGLE    BLOOD 

open  the  top  of  the  wire  box  and  scattered  over 
the  floor. 

"  By  George  !  "  exclaimed  the  youth,  excitedly, 
"  it's  like  fighting  a  battle.  It's  ripping  good 
fun." 

When  the  pop-corn  was  heaped  in  a  quaint 
yellow  bowl,  Helen  buttered  it  and  sprinkled 
pinches  of  salt  here  and  there. 

"  It's  awfully  good,"  said  Hugh,  as  he  munched 
the  savory  kernels. 

"  There  are  many  other  American  things  you'll 
like,  if  you  live  here  long  enough,"  observed  Mr. 
Martin.  "  The  best  side  of  this  country  is  the 
simple  and  natural  side.  It's  when  Americans 
become  ashamed  of  their  national  traits,  when 
they  try  to  imitate  the  things  of  other  countries, 
that  they  go  to  pieces." 

"  I  haven't  been  in  America  many  days,  but 
I've  been  conscious  of  a  sort  of  ostracism,"  said 
Hugh.  "The  mere  fact  that  I'm  an  English- 
man seems  to  prevent  men  from  associating  with 
me." 

"  You  shouldn't  allow  that  to  disturb  you," 
cried  Helen,  twisting  a  cob  and  allowing  the  corn 


EAGLE    BLOOD  137 

to  rattle  into  the  popper.  "  Six  hundred  citizens 
of  Athens  could  have  a  man  banished  for  ten 
years  by  merely  writing  his  name  on  an  oyster 
shell  and  handing  it  in  to  the  government.  That 
was  called  ostracism.  Yet  that  one  man  could 
ostracize  every  citizen  of  Athens  by  simply  retir- 
ing from  the  city.  Everything  depends  on  how 
you  look  at  such  things." 

"  And  how  do  you  come  to  know  so  much 
about  the  Athenians  ? "  asked  the  astonished 
youth. 

"  Oh,  I  haven't  forgotten  everything  I  learned 
at  college,"  said  the  girl,  and  as  she  knelt  before 
the  fire  and  shook  the  popper  over  the  shining 
coals,  she  recited  in  the  Greek  tongue  the  sono- 
rous opening  lines  of  the  "  Iliad,"  until  the  pop- 
ping of  the  corn  interrupted  her  voice. 

"  And  now  we'll  string  it,"  she  said,  emptying 
the  popper  into  the  bowl. 

With  needle  and  thread  she  made  wonderful 
garlands  of  the  pop-corn,  winding  them  in  dainty 
festoons  about  her  father's  chair  until  the  old  man 
protested,  whereupon  Hugh  twisted  several 
strands  together,  and  tying  them  in  a  wreath,  set 


138  EAGLE    BLOOD 

it  upon  her  soft  brown  hair.  She  made  a  pretty 
figure  as  she  stood  there  before  the  fire,  crowned 
like  some  slender  wood-nymph,  and  blushing  at 
the  compliment. 

"  Give  us  a  song,  Helen,"  said  Mr.  Martin ; 
"  something  with  a  ring  to  it." 

"  Please  do,"  urged  Hugh.  "  I'd  like  to  hear 
a  real  American  song." 

"  Yes,  a  patriotic  song  —  no  French  fal-lals  — 
just  a  plain  old-timer,"  exclaimed  the  veteran. 

"  f  The  Blue  and  the  Gray,'  "  suggested  Helen, 
removing  her  wreath. 

"  No,  Mr.  Dorsay  wouldn't  care  for  that. 
Give  us  something  revolutionary." 

"  But  he  mightn't  like  the  sentiment." 

"  Indeed,  you  can't  hurt  my  feelings  by  singing 
about  the  American  war  for  Independence,"  Hugh 
insisted.  "  We  all  know  now  what  a  terrible 
duffer  George  the  Third  was.  He's  the  most 
unpopular  king  in  English  history.  If  he  hadn't 
been  crazy,  I  would  be  your  countryman  to-day." 

In  a  sweet  soprano  voice  Helen  sang  "The 
Sword  of  Bunker  Hill."  In  spite  of  the  primi- 
tive theatricalism  of  the  simple  ballad,  Hugh  was 


EAGLE    BLOOD  139 

profoundly  moved  by  the  patriotic  earnestness  of 
the  singer.  Love  of  country  shone  in  her  dear 
little  face.  She  seemed  to  be  inspired  by  his 
presence,  and  her  voice  trembled  with  emotion 
when  she  came  to  the  last  lines :  — 

"The  son  remains,  the  sword  remains, 

Its  glory  growing  still  ; 
And  eighty  millions  bless  the  sire 
And  sword  of  Bunker  Hill." 

"  There,  my  son,"  said  the  old  man,  with  a 
kindly  smile,  as  the  last  note  died  away,  "  you 
don't  hear  that  song  in  the  drawing-rooms  of 
New  York,  nowadays.  Our  rich  men  are  getting 
a  little  ashamed  of  the  past,  and  Bunker  Hill 
sentiment  is  too  much  associated  with  men  who 
cared  more  about  principles  than  property  to  stir 
the  cockles  of  most  millionnaires'  hearts.  Well, 
well,  I  suppose  the  early  Americans  were  pretty 
radical,  and  perhaps  I'm  a  fool  not  to  remember 
that  all  nations  forget  the  past  when  they  grow 
rich ;  still,  it's  a  pity  that  the  old  spirit  is  dying 
out  in  some  places.  There's  no  sentiment  in 
money,  my  boy,  and  there's  no  wisdom  in 
money." 


140  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  But  surely  you  are  overlooking  the  American 
millionnaires  who  have  given  such  enormous  sums 
for  charity  and  education  ?  "  said  Hugh. 

Mr.  Martin  shook  his  head. 

"They're  old  men  who  have  grown  rich  by 
cruelty  and  injustice.  They  won't  have  pockets 
in  their  shrouds  and  they  can't  take  their  money 
out  of  the  world  with  them.  Here  and  there  you 
find  a  man  who  has  plundered  the  public  all  his 
life,  trying  to  square  accounts  with  the  Almighty 
by  dividing  some  of  his  booty  with  his  victims ; 
but  you  can't  bribe  God,  my  boy." 

The  old  man  stretched  his  arms  out  and  yawned 
prodigiously. 

"It's  growing  late,"  he  said,  "and  you  ought 
to  have  been  in  bed  long  ago." 

Hugh  arose  to  go,  when  Helen  arrested  him. 

"  Daddy  and  I  always  say  our  prayers  together," 

she  said.     "  Perhaps  you'd  like  to  say  yours  with 

» 
us. 

Hugh  felt  the  blood  mounting  to  his  face. 
Years  had  passed  since  he  had  prayed  outside 
of  a  church. 

"  I'd  like  to  stay." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  141 

So  they  went  to  their  knees  and  bowed  their 
heads  about  the  dying  embers,  and  the  old  man 
uttered  a  prayer  so  simple,  so  beautiful,  so  full  of 
childlike  faith  and  love,  that  the  stranger's  soul 
was  lifted  up  and  there  were  tears  in  his  eyes  when 
he  went  to  his  room. 


CHAPTER   VI 

DURING  the  first  year  of  his  busy  life  in  the 
service  of  the  Mail,  Hugh  received  letters  regu- 
larly from  Mr.  Chadder.  Then  his  solicitor's 
communications  became  less  frequent.  The  effort 
to  conceal  the  young  viscount's  presence  in  New 
York  had  been  difficult  at  first,  for  his  grand- 
father had  endeavored  to  trace  his  movements ; 
but,  as  time  passed,  even  the  old  Earl  of  Castle- 
hurst  seemed  to  abandon  all  interest  in  the 
whereabouts  of  his  wilful  heir. 

In  spite  of  Mr.  Irkins's  friendly  interest  in 
his  career,  Hugh  found  the  struggle  for  life 
in  a  new  country  a  bitter  one.  The  headlong 
rush  and  nervous  strain  of  newspaper  work  — 
to-day's  effort  counting  for  nothing  to-morrow ; 
the  toiling  by  night  and  sleeping  by  day ; 
the  perpetual  contact  with  extremes  of  life  — 
now  a  glittering  social  pageant  and  now  a  brawl- 
ing scene  of  crime,  here  a  meeting  of  millionnaire 

142 


EAGLE    BLOOD  143 

trust  directors  and  there  a  night  ramble  through 
the  cabins  of  starving  coal-miners ;  the  desperate 
ingenuity  used  in  interviewing  unwilling  victims 
of  publicity;  the  daily  glimpses  of  pride,  hypoc- 
risy, and  cruelty ;  the  trailing  of  loud-mouthed 
and  lying  politicians  through  hotel  corridors ; 
the  dull,  droning  days  in  ill-smelling  law  courts ; 
and  always  at  night  the  fierce  glare  of  electric 
lights  in  the  Mail  office ;  the  grinding  agony  of 
writing  in  an  atmosphere  of  hurry  and  confusion ; 
the  never  ceasing  cry  of  copy !  copy  !  copy  !  the 
terrible  periods  when  neither  ideas  nor  words 
would  come  to  the  mind;  the  moral  white-heat; 
the  fury,  the  breathlessness,  the  delirium  of  the 
last  few  minutes  before  the  paper  went  to  press ; 
and  then  the  sudden  silence  and  idleness  when 
the  movement  of  the  revolving  iron  monsters 
made  the  building  tremble ;  the  yawning,  the 
languid  inspection  of  timepieces,  the  heart- 
depressing  reaction  when  it  was  all  over,  —  these 
experiences,  repeated  day  after  day  and  week 
after  week,  hardened  him. 

There  was  no  lack  of  color  or  adventure   in 
his    life,    but    his    impressions    became    blurred. 


144  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Events  followed  each  other  too  swiftly,  and 
one  extraordinary  scene  or  experience  dulled  the 
memory  of  another.  There  was  no  time  for 
analysis  or  digestion,  and  he  suffered  moral 
dyspepsia.  He  was  like  a  man  on  a  treadmill, 
continually  moving  forward,  but  never  arriving 
anywhere. 

He  still  had  a  room  in  Mr.  Martin's  cottage, 
and  occasionally  he  went  out  to  it  for  the  sake 
of  seeing  Helen,  but  the  exacting  discipline  of 
his  duties  compelled  him  to  sleep  in  the  city 
most  of  the  time,  and  he  occupied  a  small 
apartment  in  the  neighborhood  of  Gramercy 
Park,  having  his  morning  coffee,  toast,  and  eggs 
served  in  bed,  and  taking  the  rest  of  his  meals 
in  the  restaurant  that  happened  to  be  nearest 
when  he  was  hungry.  This  semi-vagabondage, 
its  contact  with  many  events  and  actual  par- 
ticipation in  none,  its  reversal  of  ordinary  hours 
of  work  and  rest,  its  tendency  to  produce 
acquaintances  without  friendships,  its  social  iso- 
lation —  breeding  loneliness  in  the  midst  of 
multitudes  —  drove  Hugh  into  close  companion- 
ship with  his  fellows  in  the  Mail  office ;  and 


EAGLE    BLOOD  145 

many  a  night  he  sat  in  an  "  all-night  restaurant " 
with  a  company  of  weary  comrades  long  after 
the  paper  had  gone  to  press,  only  to  wake  up 
in  the  morning  with  a  headache  and  a  realization 
that  he  must  go  through  the  nerve-racking 
routine  again. 

The  keen  competition  of  life  in  New  York 
had  aroused  in  him  a  fierce  desire  to  succeed. 
He  began  to  understand  the  busy,  restless 
people  of  the  metropolis,  and  to  feel  the  quick- 
ening influences  of  democratic  associations.  The 
sense  of  helplessness  and  confusion  which  his 
first  days  in  America  had  brought  to  him 
disappeared ;  confidence  grew  with  experience. 
There  was  a  sharper,  shrewder  look  out  of  his 
eyes.  He  caught  the  most  delicate  meanings  of 
the  local  vernacular;  his  sense  of  humor  expanded 
in  his  nervous  surroundings.  He  became  more 
aggressive,  and  the  weak  lines  about  his  mouth 
were  replaced  by  an  aspect  of  virile  firmness. 
There  was  more  color  in  his  face,  his  figure 
was  more  robust,  and  he  walked  with  a  quicker 
tread. 

Miss  Grush  had  grown  into  his  life  strangely. 


146  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Ever  since  she  nursed  him  in  the  Martin  cot- 
tage, the  black-eyed  adventuress  had  assumed 
a  mysterious  attitude  of  intimate  sympathy.  She 
threw  herself  into  his  daily  affairs,  praised  his 
work,  prompted  his  impulses,  haunted  his  hours 
of  leisure,  hovered  about  him  when  he  was  at 
work.  Her  dark,  thin  countenance  smiled  upon 
him,  and  her  purring  voice  was  forever  at  his 
ear.  There  was  something  curiously  attractive 
about  Miss  Crush,  notwithstanding  her  stealthy, 
feline  temperament.  She  possessed  an  extraor- 
dinary power  of  attraction  without  sentiment, 
a  subtle  mental  and  physical  mastery  of  others, 
and,  although  Hugh  had  seen  her  eyes  mo- 
mentarily flash  into  an  expression  of  devil-like 
malice,  he  straightway  forgot  it  when  she  looked 
at  him  softly  and  purred  out  some  mysterious 
reference  to  the  weakness  of  womankind. 

The  comings  and  goings  of  Miss  Crush  were 
as  strange  as  her  personality.  She  would  disap- 
pear for  two  or  three  days  at  a  time,  and  return 
in  the  company  of  some  long-haired  mysteriarch 
or  silken-bearded  Asiatic.  She  was  a  member  of 
numerous  psychological  circles  and  a  contributor 


EAGLE    BLOOD  147 

to  the  various  periodicals  devoted  to  occultism. 
She  was  a  theosophist  and  had  consorted  with  the 
fat  and  voluble  Blavatsky,  high  priestess  of 
mysticism ;  and  when  the  white-haired  hiero- 
phant  of  theosophy  —  successor  of  Blavatsky  — 
wended  his  way  from  Madras  to  New  York,  it 
was  Miss  Grush  who  welcomed  him  on  his 
arrival.  She  knew  the  yogis,  the  mahatmas,  the 
adepts,  the  mediums.  There  was  no  corner  of 
esotery,  no  recondite  cult,  into  which  she  had 
not  penetrated.  She  had  seen  and  talked  with 
Buddha  in  a  midnight  council  of  spiritualists ;  she 
had  witnessed  the  arrival  of  an  astral  message 
from  India,  was  present  at  the  avatar  of  a  Thib- 
etan abbot  who  had  been  dead  for  a  thousand 
years,  and  saw  his  soul  enter  the  body  of  a  child. 
The  history  of  this  extraordinary  young  woman 
was  unknown.  It  was  said  that  the  proprietor  of 
the  Mail  was  familiar  with  her  antecedents,  but 
Mr.  Irkins  had  given  no  hint  of  his  knowledge 
to  his  editors.  At  one  time  she  had  been  a 
trained  nurse  and  had  studied  hypnotism.  It 
was  this  glimpse  into  the  mysteries  of  the  mes- 
meric trance  that  led  her  into  the  shadowy  regions 


148  EAGLE    BLOOD 

of  organized  esoterism,  and  in  time  her  fascinat- 
ing articles  on  ghosthood  and  its  corollaries  won 
her  a  place  on  the  staff  of  the  Mail.  Mr.  Irkins 
believed  that  the  public  liked  to  read  about 
"  spookology,"  and  he  favored  Miss  Crush. 
And,  although  she  pretended  to  believe  in  the 
mysteries  she  described,  she  was  possessed  of  a 
mental  sharpness  compounded  with  cunning,  that 
brought  her  successfully  into  the  general  work  of 
news-gathering. 

It  was  not  difficult  for  such  a  woman  to  in- 
terest Hugh's  frank  and  trustful  nature.  There 
was  nothing  in  heaven  or  earth  that  she  did  not 
seem  to  know,  and  her  very  subtlety  appealed  to 
his  blunt  mind.  She  planned  odd  feasts  in  out- 
of-the-way  Italian  restaurants  and  introduced  him 
to  all  sorts  of  mystics.  He  drank  sour  wine  in 
obscure  cellars,  dined  on  sharks'  fins  in  a  Chinese 
inn,  revelled  in  cheap  French  resorts,  fared  on 
beer  and  pigs'  knuckles  and  wonderful  krauts  and 
wursts  in  picturesque  German  beer  gardens,  and 
laughed  and  sang  with  the  priests  and  priestesses 
of  every  ism  and  ology  under  the  sun.  At  times 
he  was  permitted  to  attend  wonder-working  seances 


EAGLE    BLOOD 


149 


in  dimly  lighted  rooms,  and  although  he  laughed 
wholesomely  at  the  pretensions  of  the  adepts  and 
mediums,  he  found  these  adventures  on  the 
borderland  of  infinity  interesting  and  sometimes 
entrancing. 

Miss  Grush  was  not  beautiful.  Her  face  was 
too  lean,  her  lips  too  thin,  her  skin  too  yellow, 
and  her  eyes  too  close  together.  There  were 
deep  lines  about  the  corners  of  the  straight 
mouth,  and  the  fine  nostrils  had  an  unpleasant 
trick  of  expanding.  In  moments  of  mental  ex- 
citement there  was  an  intense  look  in  the  black 
eyes  and  an  impressive  expression  of  concentra- 
tion in  the  gypsy  countenance.  She  had  a  rare 
power  of  arresting  attention  by  suddenly  lowering 
her  voice  to  a  whisper  and  dilating  her  eyes. 
But  there  was  an  indescribable  hardness,  a  sly 
vigilance  about  her,  that  gave  one  a  feeling  of 
restlessness  in  her  company. 

There  was  no  sentiment  in  Hugh's  relations 
with  this  daughter  of  mysteries.  She  was  simply 
a  professional  comrade  who  wove  spells  for  his 
entertainment ;  a  witty,  witchlike,  tactful  vagrant 
who  never  failed  in  variety,  and  whose  orbit  of 


150  EAGLE    BLOOD 

weird  follies  reached  from  the  spectacled  psychol- 
ogists of  the  great  universities  to  the  table- 
tipping  fakirs  of  the  cheap  restaurants. 

Little  did  the  young  man  dream  of  the  deep 
cunning  that  lay  hidden  behind  those  friendly 
black  eyes,  or  of  the  confidential  correspondence 
with  a  firm  of  London  solicitors  which  had  dis- 
covered to  Miss  Crush  the  secret  of  his  rank  and 
title.  His  wild  ravings,  while  lying  unconscious 
in  the  Martin  cottage,  coupled  with  his  article  in 
the  Mail,  had  put  her  keen  mind  on  guard,  and 
the  inquiries  she  sent  to  England  were  sufficient 
to  identify  Hugh  as  the  missing  Viscount  Delau- 
nay.  And  one  day,  finding  his  desk  unlocked, 
she  read  a  letter  from  his  old  solicitor. 

"  While  I  hope  that  your  lordship  does  not 
contemplate  a  permanent  residence  in  America," 
wrote  Mr.  Chadder,  "  I  believe  that  your  present 
experiences  will  be  of  lasting  benefit  to  you. 
Contact  with  Americans  must  inevitably  awaken 
a  keener  pride  in  your  own  country  and  bring 
out  the  latent  qualities  of  your  noble  blood.  It 
would  serve  no  useful  end  to  return  to  London 
now,  for  I  will  not  attempt  to  conceal  from  you 


EAGLE    BLOOD 

the  sometimes  humiliating  straits  to  which  your 
lordship's  distinguished  grandfather  is  driven  to 
satisfy  creditors,  and  to  live  in  the  most  modest 
way.  The  earl  has  secured  an  American  tenant 
—  a  Mr.  Swinton  of  Chicago  —  for  Battlecragie 
Castle,  and  is  now  in  small  lodgings  in  Jermyn 
Street.  He  is  greatly  broken  in  health,  and 
shows  little  interest  in  anything,  except  the  com- 
mercial invasion  of  England  by  the  Americans, 
and  the  mere  mention  of  this  subject  is  sufficient 
to  provoke  violent  outbursts  of  anger.  It  would 
be  a  great  blow  to  his  pride  to  know  that  you 
were  living  in  New  York.  He  refused  to  attend 
the  last  levee  at  St.  James  Palace,  when  he  read 
in  the  Times  that  her  Majesty  had  bidden  the 
American  ambassador  to  dinner  at  Windsor,  and 
declares  that  no  Englishman  who  has  a  drop  of 
patriotism  in  his  veins  will  eat  anything  that 
comes  from  America ;  although  the  truth  is  that 
the  beef  he  eats  every  day,  and  the  flour  from 
which  his  bread  is  made,  were  grown  in  the 
United  States.  I  fear  that,  if  he  learns  of  your 
present  life,  he  will  never  be  reconciled  to  you. 
In  spite  of  my  sincere  sympathy  with  your  lord- 


152  EAGLE    BLOOD 

ship's  manly  effort  to  work  out  a  career  for  yourself 
on  your  own  merits,  —  which  I  am  sure  does  credit 
to  your  intentions, — I  must  admit  that  it  shocks 
me  to  think  that  the  last  man  of  a  family  which 
adorns  the  greatest  pages  of  English  history  — 
and,  particularly,  your  distinguished  father's  son 
—  should  be  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  winning 
his  livelihood  by  reporting  the  doings  of  others. 
I  am  sure  that  your  lordship  will  forgive  me  if  I 
say  again  that  a  suitable  American  marriage  would 
not  be  an  unworthy  object  of  your  youth,  and  that 
it  would  solve  a  situation  too  painful  to  discuss  in 
detail." 

Miss  Crush  read  the  letter  again  and  again  be- 
fore she  replaced  it  in  Hugh's  desk.>  And  from 
that  day  she  increased  her  efforts  to  win  his  regard 
and  establish  her  influence  over  him.  She  was 
too  intelligent  not  to  recognize  the  tender  affection 
which  had  grown  up  between  Hugh  and  Helen 
Martin.  As  yet  it  was  an  unspoken  sentiment, 
too  vague  for  words,  a  sweet  comradeship,  a  fond 
concord,  unconscious  of  passion.  Notwithstand- 
ing her  frank  and  self-reliant  nature,  the  slightest 
approach  to  the  secrets  of  Helen's  heart  discovered 


EAGLE    BLOOD 

a  girlish  shyness  that  defied  investigation,  while  it 
heightened  the  charm  of  her  innocent  youth  and 
beauty. 

Try  as  he  might,  Hugh  could  never  cross  the 
barrier  between  them.  He  was  an  Englishman, 
a  leal  subject  of  the  British  crown,  while  she  was 
the  daughter  of  a  nation  that  recognized  no  higher 
rank  than  the  sovereignty  of  manhood.  Her 
ancestry,  her  education,  her  environment,  and  her 
patriotic  temperament  combined  to  strengthen 
her  national  prejudice.  With  the  egotism  of 
youth  —  and  what  is  there  like  the  egotism  of  a 
young  girl  living  in  an  atmosphere  of  homage, 
sweeping  away  resistance  with  the  tidal  power 
of  beautiful  maidenhood  ?  —  she  clung  to  her  first 
patriotic  conceptions  as  settled  convictions,  and 
declared  that  no  true  American  could  ever  become 
the  subject  of  a  king,  by  marriage  or  otherwise. 
And  Hugh  came  to  know  the  little  patriot  well 
enough  to  understand  that  an  avowal  of  his  rank 
and  title  would  bring  the  intimacy  of  their  com- 
panionship to  an  end ;  and  so  he  guarded  his 
secret  and  allowed  himself  to  drift  pleasantly  with 
her,  without  a  thought  of  the  future. 


154  EAGLE    BLOOD 

All  this  was  known  to  Miss  Crush.  She 
found  many  excuses  to  visit  the  little  green 
cottage  in  the  woods,  and  by  playful  allusions 
to  Hugh  surprised  Helen  into  a  blushing  ad- 
mission that  the  young  Englishman's  nationality 
had  been  the  cause  of  some  restraint  in  their 
intercourse ;  and  by  a  hundred  feminine  devices 
of  hint  and  insinuation,  Miss  Crush  sought  to 
widen  the  breach. 

One  night,  after  Hugh  had  finished  a  long 
article  on  the  now  furious  agitation  for  American 
intervention  in  Cuba,  and  stood  looking  out  of 
a  window  in  the  Mail  office,  watching  the  occa- 
sional drops  of  rain  that  trickled  down  the 
pane,  Miss  Crush  touched  his  arm. 

"Tired?"  she  asked,  as  he  turned  lazily. 

"Yes,  I'm  fagged  out,"  he  yawned.  "This 
Cuban  business  has  stirred  me  up.  It's  horrible 
to  think  that  Spain  is  allowed  systematically  to 
exterminate  a  brave  little  nation  simply  because 
the  moneyed  men  ot  the  United  States  are 
fearful  that  business  might  be  disturbed  and 
stocks  depressed  if  the  government  interfered 
with  the  Spanish  policy  of  massacre.  It  sickens 


EAGLE    BLOOD  155 

me  to  be  told  that  a  newspaper  man  has  no 
right  to  allow  his  personal  feelings  or  opinions 
to  enter  into  his  work." 

"  Poor  fellow  !  "  murmured  Miss  Grush,  sym- 
pathetically. "  I  know  how  you  feel.  It's 
maddening." 

"  There's  not  a  man  on  the  staff  that  hasn't 
had  his  turn  on  the  Cuban  question,  and  yet 
not  one  of  them  cares  a  rap  about  it  except  to 
make  a  good  story.  Journalism  seems  to  deaden 
a  man's  soul.  Even  Mr.  Irkins  told  me  to- 
night that  he  stuck  to  the  insurgent  cause 
because  there  was  circulation  for  the  Mail  in 
it.  And  yet  war  may  be  declared  before  the 
week  is  out." 

"  A  man's  soul  can't  be  deadened  it  he  goes 
to  the  gate  of  life,"  purred  Miss  Grush,  laying 
her  warm  hand  on  his  shoulder  and  watching 
him  through  her  half-closed  lashes.  "  You  laugh 
at  the  evidences  of  the  spirit  life  that  broods  in 
the  air  about  you,  but  I  can  take  you  to-night  to 
one  who  will  convince  you." 

"  Pshaw ! "  he  laughed  wearily,  shaking  her 
hand  off,  "  more  sour  wine,  villanous  cooking, 


156  EAGLE    BLOOD 

and  spooks.  I'm  not  in  the  humor  for  it  to- 
night ;  it's  like  hearing  the  Lord's  Prayer  to  a 
banjo  accompaniment.  I'm  sure  it's  kind  of 
you  to  think  of  me,  but  I'm  in  a  serious 
mood  and  these  ghost  tricks  are  tiresome  ;  you'll 
have  to  excuse  me." 

The  dark  face  grew  paler  and  the  thin  figure 
stiffened  at  the  rebuff. 

"You  never  think  of  me,"   she  said  bitterly. 

"  Oh,  come  now,"  said  Hugh,  moved  by  her 
tone,  "you  know  better  than  that;  but  I'm 
beat  out  to-night  and  I'd  rather  turn  in  and 
have  some  sleep  —  really,  I  would."  • 

"  Do  come,"  she  pleaded.  "  I  have  to  go 
for  the  paper  and  I  feel  lonely ;  besides,  there 
are  to  be  manifestations  by  Madame  Grocroft, 
the  greatest  medium  in  the  world.  Her  house 
in  Paris  is  the  resort  of  the  most  famous  writers 
and  scientific  men  in  Europe.  She  is  a  woman 
whose  learning  and  social  position  are  sufficient 
to  obtain  a  serious  hearing  for  her  in  any  com- 
munity, and  the  Society  for  Psychical  Research 
has  received  her  evidence  almost  without  criti- 
cism." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  157 

Hugh  stuck  his  hands  in  his  pockets  and 
flattened  his  nose  against  the  window-pane.  The 
rain  was  thicker  in  the  air,  and  the  Broadway 
pavements  were  already  streaming. 

"They're  all  humbugs,"  he  said.  "That 
Gerzmanowli  woman  told  me  that  I  would  in- 
herit a  great  fortune  within  a  month,  and  then 
tried  to  borrow  twenty-five  dollars  from  me. 
Prince  Chownda  insisted  that  he  could  see  a 
beautiful  angel  through  my  flesh,  and  afterward 
attempted  to  sell  me  a  glass  sapphire.  The 
holy  Lama  —  what-do-you-call-him  ?  —  assured 
me  that  he  had  not  eaten  for  ten  years,  and  left 
for  parts  unknown  after  running  up  an  enor- 
mous bill  at  the  Waldorf-Astoria  restaurant. 
The  spirit  princess  who  insisted  on  kissing  me 
at  Mrs.  Kemmer's  ghost  show  had  been  drink- 
ing gin.  The  whole  thing's  a  fraud,  and  it's 
the  cruelest  sort  of  imposition,  because  the 
victims  are  generally  sorrowing  women.  I  can't 
bear  it.  No,  I'll  go  home  to-night." 

"  Please  come,"  she  purred  in  his  ear.  "  Do 
it  for  me.  I've  a  reason  for  asking  it." 

"  A  reason  ?  " 


158  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Yes,  a  reason.  I  want  to  convince  you 
to-night  of  truths  that  may  affect  your  whole 
life.  I  can't  tell  you  everything  now,  but  I 
want  you  to  trust  me  to-night." 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  Hugh,  good-naturedly, 
"  hang  it !  I  suppose  I  must  go.  You  never 
let  up  on  a  fellow  till  you've  had  your  way." 

"  It  will  be  the  night  of  your  life,"  whispered 
Miss  Crush,  with  a  strange  smile. 

An  hour  later  they  entered  an  old-fashioned 
and  somewhat  shabby  brick  house  near  Washing- 
ton Square,  and  were  ushered  into  a  large,  half- 
lighted  room  where  twenty  or  thirty  men  and 
women  were  seated  in  a  semicircle  facing  a  tall 
Japanese  screen.  The  room  was  plainly  fur- 
nished, and  there  were  a  few  commonplace  steel 
engravings  in  cheap  frames  on  the  faded  walls. 
A  cracked  marble  mantel  over  a  vacant  fireplace 
was  adorned  with  imitation  bronze  statuettes 
flanked  by  ground-glass  vases  filled  with  dried 
pampas  grass.  Two  doors  behind  the  screen 
were  half  concealed  by  gaudy  Turkish  hangings. 

The  people  in  the  room  spoke  in  whispers. 
Most  of  them  were  women.  In  the  middle 


EAGLE    BLOOD  159 

of  the  semicircle  sat  an  old  man,  whose  white 
hair  hung  in  curls  down  his  back.  Beside  him, 
and  evidently  his  companion,  was  a  smooth-faced 
youth  with  a  harelip,  who  stared  about  with 
an  expression  of  awe.  Two  seats  away  was  a 
curiously  wizened  man,  with  a  bald  pate  and 
bulging  forehead,  whose  ivory-handled  walking- 
stick  stood  upright  between  his  knees.  He 
whispered  incessantly  to  a  sickly  young  woman 
dressed  in  widow's  black  and  heavily  veiled. 
Next  to  him  was  a  huge,  red-faced  man  with 
close-cropped  side  whiskers  and  a  triple  chin, 
who  wheezed  and  goggled  his  eyes  apoplectically 
when  he  was  not  listening  to  the  little,  thin 
woman  who  sat  beside  him. 

As  Miss  Crush  and  her  companion  entered 
the  room,  Madame  Grocroft,  a  tall,  graceful 
woman,  whose  singularly  strong  face  was  marred 
by  a  great  wart,  came  from  behind  the  screen 
and  welcomed  them.  She  spoke  with  a  slight 
foreign  accent  and  was  dressed  in  a  prim  black 
silk  dress  devoid  of  ornament.  She  greeted 
Miss  Crush  with  marked  deference  and  glanced 
sharply  at  Hugh. 


160  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  A  friend  of  the  cause  ?  " 

"  A  doubter,"  said  Miss  Grush.  "  One  who 
seeks  light." 

"  Ah,  faith !  faith !  we  are  nothing  without 
faith,"  sighed  Madame  Grocroft,  raising  her  eyes 
to  the  ceiling.  "  We  shut  our  eyes  and  say  that 
the  world  is  dark,  but  when  we  open  them  we 
perceive  the  light  and  beauty  of  heaven.  We 
think  of  the  flesh  as  the  only  reality,  forgetting 
that  it  is  merely  a  garment  for  the  spirit.  Ah, 
Miss  Grush,  if  this  seeker  for  light  will  only 
have  faith  to  see,  who  can  tell  what  blessed 
message  may  come  forth  to  him  from  the  spirits 
who  surround  us." 

"  Don't  make  a  fool  of  me,"  whispered  Hugh, 
angrily,  to  his  guide. 

"  You  have  the  face  of  a  prophet,"  said  the 
Madame,  looking  him  in  the  eyes. 

"  Pooh  !  "  answered  Hugh,  rudely. 

"  And  you  must  have  the  faith  of  a  prophet  — 
the  faith  to  see,  to  hear,  to  know.  It  is  not 
given  to  every  one  to  know  the  truth." 

"When  does  the  show  begin  ?  " 

"  The  show  ?     Ah,  my  dear  Mr.  —  " 


EAGLE    BLOOD  161 

"  Dorsay,"  said  Miss  Grush. 

"  My  good  Mr.  Dorsay,  —  the  revelation,  the 
sublime  transmutation  of  disembodied  soul  ether 
into  material  forms,  the  meeting  of  infinite  and 
finite  —  how  can  you  speak  so  lightly  of  such 
sacred  things  ? " 

"  I  suppose  it's  because  I've  seen  so  much 
humbug,"  said  Hugh,  frankly.  "  Show  me  a 
spirit  that  I  can  recognize.  Ghost  voices  and 
table  rappings  are  easy  enough." 

A  swift  signal  passed  between  the  eyes  of  Miss 
Grush  and  Madame  Grocroft. 

"You  shall  see  and  hear  to-night  what  will 
be  understood  only  by  yourself,"  said  the 
medium,  raising  her  glance  to  the  ceiling  again 
and  clasping  her  hands  as  if  in  prayer.  "  I  feel 
your  psychic  forces  stirring ;  you  are  on  the 
verge  of  a  great  event,  a  great  awakening." 

Hugh  sniffed  contemptuously  and  took  a  seat 
with  Miss  Grush  among  the  devotees,  several 
of  whom  knew  her  and  nodded  their  heads. 
Then  Madame  Grocroft  rustled  forward  and 
disappeared  behind  the  screen.  There  was 
silence  for  a  few  minutes,  interrupted  only  by 


i6<z  EAGLE    BLOOD 

the  wheezing  of  the  red-faced  man  and  the  tick- 
ing of  a  clock.  The  lights  in  the  room  were 
extinguished.  Hugh  stared  into  the  darkness 
until  he  grew  drowsy  and  nodded.  The  sharp 
tinkling  of  a  bell  aroused  him,  and  he  noticed 
a  pearly  radiance  shining  faintly  behind  the 
screen.  The  light  grew  brighter,  changing  from 
white  to  silvery  blue,  to  rose-tinged  gray,  to 
violet,  with  tremulous  flashes  of  pale  green,  and 
then  to  a  misty  glare  of  sulphurous  yellow,  which 
died  down  to  a  ghastly  white  flicker. 

"Chemicals,"  whispered  Hugh  to  Miss  Crush. 
"She's  burning  alcohol  mixed  with  salt  now  —  I 
know  the  trick." 

"  For  God's  sake  be  serious ! "  she  replied. 
"  We  are  in  the  presence  of  the  dead." 

A  tall  figure  robed  in  white  stalked  from  be- 
hind the  screen.  At  every  step  there  was  a  clank- 
ing of  metal  and  the  jewelled  hilt  of  a  sword 
protruded  through  a  slit  in  the  trailing  garment. 
A  white  cloth  was  twisted  about  the  head,  throw- 
ing a  shadow  on  the  face,  over  which  there  played 
a  deathly  phosphorescence.  The  robe  was  slightly 
parted  below  the  square  chin,  revealing  a  massive 


EAGLE    BLOOD  163 

neck  and  the  shining  edge  of  a  steel  breastplate. 
The  eyes  were  hidden  beneath  bushy  eyebrows. 

"  Lord  Delaunay,"  said  the  figure,  in  a  deep 
voice  that  echoed  through  the  darkened  room. 

Hugh  sat  silent  and  motionless.  His  skin 
tingled  and  his  head  throbbed,  but  he  clenched 
his  teeth,  resolved  not  to  have  his  secret  ravished 
from  him. 

"  He's  looking  at  you,"  whispered  Miss  Grush, 
nudging  him. 

The  figure  advanced  toward  Hugh  with  long, 
heavy  strides,  making  the  boards  of  the  floor  creak. 

"  Lord  Delaunay  !  " 

A  long  finger  pointed  at  him  from  the  white 
folds.  The  swathed  head  bowed,  and  there  was  a 
terrible  grin  on  the  dim  visage. 

"  Speak,  speak  !  "  urged  Miss  Grush.  He  could 
feel  her  hand  trembling  as  it  touched  him ;  but 
he  gave  no  sign  and  uttered  no  word. 

"  Lord  Delaunay  !  "  The  voice  rolled  harshly 
and  ended  in  a  wail.  The  figure  moved  onward 
until  the  white  robe  touched  his  knee. 

"  Hang  it,  you've  stepped  on  my  foot ! "  shouted 
Hugh,  indignantly,  as  he  leaped  from  his  seat. 


164  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Thou  knowest  me,"  groaned  the  apparition. 

"  I  don't,"  snapped  the  young  man. 

"  I  am  Godfrey  de  Bouillon,  Marquis  of  Ant- 
werp, Duke  of  Lorraine,  Baron  and  Defender 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  Thou  art  my  kins- 
man." 

"  Nothing  of  the  sort,"  said  Hugh,  in  spite  of 
his  shaking  knees.  "Godfrey  de  Bouillon  couldn't 
speak  English." 

"Alas !  that  one  of  my  blood  should  renounce 
his  name.  Know,  then,  that  the  tongues  of  all 
men  are  known  to  those  who  have  risen  from  the 
bondage  of  the  flesh.  Thou  wast  born  in  Battle- 
cragie  Castle  and  —  " 

"  Nonsense  !    I  was  born  in  London." 

The  tall  figure  started  and  shrank  backward. 
A  bell  tinkled,  and  the  glow  behind  the  screen 
died  out.  There  was  utter  darkness.  Hugh  was 
conscious  that  the  white  figure  was  slowly  retreat- 
ing. Not  a  sound  broke  the  stillness  but  the 
creaking  of  the  floor.  There  was  a  sudden  rush 
of  blood  to  his  head,  and  with  a  fierce  bound  for- 
ward he  grappled  the  apparition.  His  wrists  were 
seized  with  an  iron  grip,  there  was  a  piercing 


EAGLE    BLOOD  165 

scream,  followed  by  the  crash  of  the  overturned 
screen.  A  powerful  hand  struck  him  on  the  fore- 
head and  he  fell  to  the  floor,  while  the  room  was 
filled  with  the  cries  of  the  frightened  company. 
As  he  staggered  to  his  feet,  Hugh  could  hear 
men  and  women  rushing  to  and  fro  in  the  dark- 
ness in  a  wild  endeavor  to  escape.  Then  a  warm 
hand  was  laid  on  his  head,  and  Miss  Grush's  voice 
purred  in  his  ear. 

"  Be  cool,"  she  said.  "You've  lost  your  head. 
Stand  where  you  are." 

Suddenly  the  lights  were  turned  up.  The 
screen  was  in  its  place  again,  the  white  figure  was 
nowhere  to  be  seen,  and  Madame  Grocroft  issued 
forth  to  survey  the  upset  chairs  and  huddled 
groups  with  an  air  of  surprise.  Hugh  rubbed  the 
bump  on  his  forehead  and  frowned.  His  face 
was  white  with  passion.  The  tall  medium  raised 
her  hands  and  clicked  her  tongue. 

"  T'ck,  t'ck,  t'ck  !  what  does  this  mean  ?  "  she 
cried.  "  I  have  been  roughly  awakened  from  the 
trance.  What  brawler  has  done  this  ?  " 

The  red-faced  man  pointed  to  Hugh  and 
wagged  his  fat  head. 


i66  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  He's  a  newspaper  spy,"  he  growled.  "  It'll 
all  be  in  print  to-morrow." 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Dorsay,"  said  the  Madame,  reproach- 
fully, "  is  it  possible  ?  Have  you  forgotten  the 
laws  of  social  intercourse  so  far  as  to  violate  the 
privacy  of  this  circle  ?  " 

"  Nothing  is  further  from  my  mind,"  answered 
Hugh.  "  I'm  sorry  to  have  disturbed  your  meet- 
ing, but  I  insist  upon  seeing  the  man  who  struck 
me.  There  is  a  conspiracy  here  that  must  be 
explained.  Where  is  the  man  who  called  himself 
Godfrey  de  Bouillon  ?  " 

Madame  Grocroft  smiled  and  closed  her  eyes 
dreamily. 

"  You  speak  of  the  great  knight  who  conquered 
Jerusalem  and  rescued  the  Holy  Sepulchre,"  she 
murmured.  "  He  it  was  who  spoke  to  me  from 
the  other  world.  Indeed  you  have  been  fortunate 
to  speak  with  the  illustrious  spirit  —  so  fortunate!" 
Her  eyes  remained  closed  and  her  face  grew 
radiant.  "I  remember  now  —  a  tall  man  in 
shining  armor,  a  long  sword  at  his  side,  and  a 
cross  on  his  great  shield." 

"  Let's    go,"    said    Hugh,   dryly.     "  I've    had 


EAGLE    BLOOD  167 

enough  of  this.  No,  thank  you,"  —  to  Madame 
Grocroft,  who  begged  him  to  sit  again  at  the 
bright  gate  of  truth  — "  not  any  more." 

As  he  went  out  into  the  night  with  Miss 
Crush,  the  rain  beat  in  his  hot  face.  Neither 
spoke.  He  was  dazed  by  the  discovery  that  the 
secret  of  his  identity  was  known  in  New  York. 
He  gave  his  arm  mechanically  to  his  silent  com- 
panion and  walked  aimlessly  toward  Broadway. 
A  squad  of  drunken  roisterers  went  reeling  past 
him  in  the  storm,  singing  in  chorus.  He  could 
hear  their  voices  sounding  along  the  street  as  they 
disappeared  in  the  drifting  gray  ness.  He  shivered 
and  turned  up  the  collar  of  his  coat. 

"  What  did  he  mean  by  calling  you  Lord 
Delaunay  ?  "  asked  Miss  Grush,  clinging  to  his 
arm. 

Hugh  stopped  abruptly  and  peered  in  her  face, 
the  bright  drops  falling  between  them. 

"  You  are  too  sharp  altogether,"  he  said  gruffly. 


CHAPTER    VII 

THEY  walked  in  silence  through  the  storm  for 
a  few  minutes.  It  was  growing  colder.  The 
wind  caught  up  little  whirls  of  rain  and  rattled 
the  shutters  on  the  houses.  At  the  corner  of 
Broadway  they  halted  under  an  electric  light  that 
made  the  shadows  of  the  descending  shower  flutter 
over  the  gleaming  street  like  flocks  of  frightened 
bats. 

"  Where  are  we  going  ?  "  purred  Miss  Crush. 

"  Going  ?  "  Hugh  stared  at  the  dancing  shad- 
ows. "  Where  should  we  be  going  ?  " 

"It's  early  yet.  We  might  find  the  Prince  of 
Bpoonung  at  Podelli's.  He  generally  drops  in 
late  for  a  dish  of  spaghetti ;  and  some  of  the 
others  are  sure  to  be  there  —  Bulga  Toomi,  Miss 
Cassatto,  or  Professor  FrichkofF." 

"  No,  I'm  tired  and  I  have  a  splitting  head- 
ache. I've  been  terribly  upset  to-night.  I'll  go 

1 68 


EAGLE    BLOOD  169 

home  and  turn  in.  I  wish  I  hadn't  gone  to  that 
ghost  show  and  made  a  spectacle  of  myself." 

"  Won't  you  come  to  my  apartment  and  talk  it 
over  ? "  she  suggested  with  an  eagerness  that 
escaped  his  notice.  "  I  feel  that  something  has 
wounded  you  deeply,  and  perhaps  I  can  help  you 
to  understand  it." 

Hugh  hesitated. 

"  I  oughtn't  to  have  asked  you  to  Madame 
Grocroft's  to-night ;  but  she  is  the  most  famous 
medium  in  the  world,  and  I  didn't  want  you  to 
miss  the  opportunity  of  seeing  her.  I'm  sure 
you're  mistaken  in  supposing  that  the  apparition 
was  a  trick.  If  I  thought  so,  I'd —  But  you'll 
come  with  me  and  let  me  explain,  won't  you  ? " 

There  was  something  in  her  manner  that 
aroused  Hugh's  interest.  After  all,  what  reason 
could  she  have  for  deceiving  him?  He  could 
feel  her  black  eyes  looking  into  his  very  soul. 
The  electric  light  struck  green  sparkles  from  the 
crystal  heart  hanging  at  her  throat.  Her  hand 
trembled  on  his  arm. 

"  If  you  really  could  explain  —  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  can  explain  everything." 


i yo  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"Then  I'll  go." 

And  so  it  happened  that  the  heir  of  Battle- 
cragie  Castle  found  himself  near  midnight  seated 
in  Miss  Grush's  little  sitting  room,  with  a  smok- 
ing Welsh  rabbit  and  a  bottle  of  ale  before  him. 

It  was  an  interesting  place.  The  dull  red  walls; 
the  colored  Turkish  hangings  ;  the  rows  of  photo- 
graphs of  oriental  celebrities  in  picturesque  cos- 
tume ;  the  canopy  of  embroidered  silk  held  over  a 
many-cushioned  couch  on  the  points  of  ancient 
halberds ;  the  carved  blackwood  cabinet,  filled 
with  painted  and  gilded  idols,  Eastern  daggers, 
bits  of  jade,  rare  snuff-bottles  and  all  sorts  of 
Chinese  odds  and  ends ;  the  green  bronze  dragon 
on  the  steam  heater,  emitting  sandalwood  incense 
through  its  nostrils ;  the  big  blackwood  chair  with 
a  marble  seat ;  the  hanging  placards  covered  with 
prayers  and  odes  in  Sanscrit  and  Chinese  charac- 
ters ;  and  the  altar-like  framework  in  front  of  the 
piano,  containing  a  portrait  of  the  lamented  Bla- 
vatsky,  dead  priestess  of  occultism,  lent  an  air  of 
mystery  to  the  room  that  even  the  smell  of  burn- 
ing cheese  and  the  flavor  of  good  ale  could  not 
dispel. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  171 

"  It's  a  cosey  little  den,"  said  Hugh,  looking 
about  him.  "Just  the  place  for  a  midnight  sup- 
per. What  strange  things  you  must  have  seen 
here.  I  suppose  every  incantation  known  to  the 
ghost-workers  has  been  uttered  in  this  room. 
Stunning  good  ale,  too — just  cold  enough  —  and 
this  rabbit's  as  tender  as  can  be." 

Hugh  was  recovering  his  spirits  and  laughed 
heartily  at  Miss  Crush's  stories. 

"You  may  not  believe  it,"  she  murmured, 
"but  I've  seen  the  soul  of  a  cousin  who  died  ten 
years  ago  sitting  on  that  steam  heater,  beside  the 
bronze  dragon." 

"Jolly  uncomfortable  place  to  sit,  if  the  steam 
was  on,"  said  Hugh,  sipping  his  ale.  "  Perhaps 
he  got  used  to  heat  after  he  died." 

"You  don't  believe  me?" 

"  I'm  like  Walpole.  I  believe  everything  but 
history  —  it's  a  lie." 

"  This,"  said  Miss  Crush,  bringing  a  ball  of 
rock  crystal  from  the  cabinet  and  handing  it  to 
her  guest,  "  was  cut  from  the  heart  of  a  mountain 
in  Thibet,  and  was  brought  to  me  by  a  Bonpa 
monk." 


172  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  What  was  his  particular  style  of  entertain- 
ment?" 

"  Oh,  he  didn't  give  entertainments  at  all.  He 
went  on  foot  from  Thibet  to  Calcutta,  and  took 
ship  to  New  York,  to  expose  some  of  the  heresies 
of  Buddhism  which  he  had  been  led  to  believe  was 
establishing  itself  in  America.  When  he  started 
back  for  his  native  mountains,  he  left  that  prayer 
wheel  which  you  see  in  the  corner." 

"  How  beautiful  it  is,"  said  Hugh,  holding  up 
the  polished  crystal  ball,  which  mirrored  every 
tint  and  color  in  the  room.  "  The  ancients  used 
to  believe  that  rock  crystal  was  congealed  ice." 

"  Hold  it  closer  to  your  face  and  examine  it 
carefully,"  suggested  Miss  Crush. 

Her  eyes  glittered  and  her  hand  shook.  The 
dark  face  grew  gray,  save  for  a  bright  spot  in 
either  cheek.  The  heaving  of  her  bosom  be- 
trayed her  excitement,  and  the  deep  lines  at 
the  corners  of  her  mouth  gave  her  an  aspect 
of  cunning  and  cruelty. 

"  It  strains  my  eyes  to  do  that." 

Miss  Grush  stole  closer  to  him,  with  a  gentle, 
undulating  step. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  173 

"  Don't  take  your  eyes  off  it.  Concentrate 
your  mind  on  that  bright  spot  in  the  centre." 

He  could  feel  her  hot  breath  on  his  cheek. 
Brilliant  waves  of  color  swam  through  the  clear 
depths  of  the  shining  sphere.  The  rich  fra- 
grance of  sandalwood  seemed  to  steal  into  his 
senses.  She  stroked  his  forehead  gently. 

"  Put  your  whole  soul  into  that  spot  of  light," 
she  whispered.  "  See,  see  how  fair  it  is,  how 
marvellous  !  "  Hugh  stared  at  the  crystal,  held 
by  sheer  fascination.  He  felt  his  will  power 
leaving  him,  but  he  could  not  resist.  "  There, 
there,"  —  drawing  the  tip  of  her  fingers  across  his 
brow  and  cooing  in  his  ear,  — "  see  how  your 
soul  yields  to  mine." 

"  My  soul,"  he  muttered  in  a  feeble  mono- 
tone. 

"Yes,  yes.  It's  all  right.  Don't  resist,  but 
give  yourself  up  to  me." 

"  To  me,"  he  echoed.  His  eyes  opened 
wider  and  the  pupils  dilated.  The  muscles  of 
his  face  twitched,  and  he  moistened  his  dry  lips 
with  his  tongue. 

"  I   don't  like  this  infernal  —  " 


174  EAGLE    BLOOD 

His  tongue  refused  to  move,  and  his  eyelids 
drooped  slightly  over  the  staring  blue  eyes. 
He  was  in  a  hypnotic  sleep.  Miss  Grush  closed 
the  eyelids  and  drew  a  deep  breath  of  relief. 
Her  face  was  ghastly  in  its  pallor.  For  an 
instant  she  watched  her  victim  keenly,  and  then 
a  sudden  tigerish  beauty  came  into  her  counte- 
nance and  she  kissed  Hugh's  pale  lips.  As  she 
bent  over  the  helpless  youth,  his  fine,  thin 
features  and  aristocratic  brow  seemed  to  excite 
her  evil  nature,  and  her  lip  curled  scornfully. 

"  Easier  than  I  thought,"  she  murmured. 
"  Good  blood  run  to  seed  —  no  will  power." 

With  noiseless  step  she  moved  to  the  wall 
and  touched  an  electric  button.  A  boy  answered 
the  summons. 

"  Tell  Mr.  Frewen  I  want  to  see  him  im- 
mediately. He's  waiting  for  this  message.  You 
know  where  to  find  him  ? "  The  boy  nodded 
and  vanished. 

No  sound  broke  the  stillness  of  the  room 
but  the  regular  breathing  of  the  hypnotized 
victim.  His  face  was  as  white  as  death,  and  the 
crystal  ball  was  still  clutched  in  his  rigid  hand. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  175 

A  lock  of  yellow  hair  had  fallen  across  the 
high,  blue-veined  forehead.  Miss  Grush  watched 
him  for  a  moment  and  rubbed  her  hands  softly 
together.  Then  she  glided  to  a  large  mirror 
and  looked  critically  at  her  own  face,  perking 
her  head  from  side  to  side  and  smoothing  her 
black  hair. 

"  Not  so  bad,"  she  whispered.  "  A  little 
thin  and  sallow,  but  distinguished  enough  for 
a  viscountess.  Ah!" — with  a  slow,  sweeping 
courtesy  to  her  smiling  reflection — "good  evening, 
my  lady  !  How  charming  your  ladyship  looks." 

Presently  she  sat  down  beside  her  victim  and 
stroked  his  brow  again. 

"  Open  your  eyes,"  she  commanded. 

The  eyelids  fluttered  for  an  instant,  and  Hugh 
regarded  her  with  a  fixed  stare.  Her  black  eyes 
burned  feverishly.  She  put  her  face  close  to  his 
and  looked  into  his  pale  eyes. 

"  Lord  Delaunay,  you  love  me." 

Hugh  continued  to  stare  at  the  temptress 
without  speaking. 

"  You  love  me  and  want  me  to  be  your  wife," 
she  purred. 


176  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Yes,"  answered  Hugh. 

"What  is  your  father's  name?  " 

"  Father's  name,"  he  echoed  mechanically. 

"  Yes,  dear.  Think  hard  —  your  father's 
name." 

"  The  Viscount  Delaunay." 

"  He's  dead,  isn't  he  ?  " 

"  Dead." 

"  What  was  his  Christian  name  ?  " 

"  Christian  name  "  —  he  knit  his  brows  as  if 
struggling  with  the  thought. 

"  Your  father's  Christian  name."  She  drew 
her  ringers  across  his  cheek  and  brushed  his 
hair  back. 

"  Philip  Eustace  Godfrey." 

"  Your  mother's  name  ?     Tell  me,  dear." 

"  Catherine  Le  Breux  Marie  Dorsay." 

"  Oh,  Hugh  !  how  you  love  me  !  And  we  are 
to  be  married  now  —  married  forever  and  ever. 
Where  is  your  ring  ?"  —  she  looked  in  alarm  at 
his  hands  —  "the  ring  Miss  Remington  gave 
you  —  that  curious  old  crusader's  ring  ?  " 

Hugh  brought  it  forth  from  his  pocket.  It 
was  the  historic  family  ring  given  to  his  fighting 


EAGLE    BLOOD  177 

ancestor  at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  Tancred. 
In  an  impulsive  moment  Miss  Remington  had 
remembered  him  at  Christmas  by  presenting  him 
with  the  curious  old  ring,  unknowing  that  it  had 
been  his  since  childhood. 

"  What  a  lovely  bit  it  is  !  "  said  Miss  Crush, 
fitting  it  on  her  finger.  "  Where  did  it  come 
from  ?  " 

Before  he  could  answer  there  was  a  knock  at 
the  door,  and  Miss  Crush  admitted  a  little  old 
man  in  shabby  clerical  attire.  His  wrinkled  face 
and  watery  eyes,  seen  through  iron-bound  spec- 
tacles, bespoke  cunning  and  avarice.  Behind 
him  strode  Madame  Grocroft,  the  spiritualist 
medium,  whose  strong  face  beamed  with  smiles. 

"  Oh,"  cried  the  Madame,  "  we  have  come  from 
the  gate  of  truth  to  sit  in  the  temple  of  love. 
A  thousand  congratulations,  my  dear  young 
people." 

"  A  nasty  night,"  said  the  old  man,  laying  his 
hat  on  the  table.  "  But  love  defies  the  elements. 
The  wetter  the  night  the  dryer  the  heart."  And 
he  cackled  shrilly. 

"  My  fiance,  Mr.   Hugh   Dorsay,"  said  Miss 


178  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Grush,  presenting  Hugh,  whose  countenance  was 
expressionless.  Hugh,  dear,  this  is  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Frewen." 

"  Delighted  to  meet  you,  sir,"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Frewen,  producing  a  prayer-book  and  clearing 
his  throat  with  a  cough.  "  My  congratulations." 

Hugh's  face  was  like  a  mask.  His  eyes  had  a 
fixed,  stony  look. 

"  Mr.  Dorsay  is  not  well,"  explained  Miss 
Grush,  stroking  her  victim's  head.  He  is  a  little 
deaf,  so  that  you  must  speak  clearly.  We  would 
like  to  have  the  ceremony  over  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble, as  he  must  leave  the  city  at  once.  We  have 
urgent  reasons  for  keeping  the  marriage  secret  for 
the  present.  I  think  I  have  explained  to  you, 
Mr.  Frewen,  that  the  condition  of  his  nerves  is 
such  that  he  cannot  endure  any  excitement. 
Please  make  it  as  short  as  you  can." 

"  Certainly,"  said  Mr.  Frewen,  thumbing  his 
prayer-book,  "  I  shall  take  no  more  time  than  is 
necessary.  The  situation  is  a  little  unusual,  but 
we  must  all  accommodate  ourselves  to  the  exi- 
gencies of  love  —  he !  he !  he ! " 

"  What  a  beautiful  sight  it  is  to  see  two  lovers 


EAGLE    BLOOD  179 

asking  the  benediction  of  God  upon  their  union  !  " 
said  Madame  Grocroft,  piously.  Then  she  leaned 
over  to  Miss  Grush.  "  Is  it  safe  ?  "  she  whis- 
pered;  "will  he  answer?"  Miss  Grush  winked 
and  laughed.  Madame  Grocroft  playfully  pinched 
her  hand. 

All  this  time  Hugh  sat  motionless,  with  a  far- 
away look  in  his  wide-open  eyes.  The  exhaus- 
tion of  his  day's  labor  in  the  Mail  office,  the 
nervous  strain  of  the  scene  in  Madame  Grocroft's 
house,  and  the  intense  reaction  following  the  dis- 
covery that  the  secret  of  his  identity  was  known 
to  some  one  in  New  York  had  so  weakened  him, 
so  unbalanced  his  normal  condition,  that  he  had 
easily  fallen  into  Miss  Grush's  trap.  The  ex- 
traordinary conjunction  of  mystery  and  mental 
shock  had  given  the  wily  adventuress  her  oppor- 
tunity. 

Mr.  Frewen  opened  his  book  and  adjusted 
his  spectacles. 

"  Please  stand  up,"   he  said. 

Miss  Grush  took  Hugh's  hand,  and  together 
they  stood  before  the  clergyman. 

"  How  sweet !  "  murmured  Madame  Grocroft, 


i8o  EAGLE    BLOOD 

clasping  her  hands  on  her  bosom.  "  How  lovely 
it  is  !  " 

Miss  Crush  cast  her  eyes  down  for  a  moment 
with  an  affectation  of  shyness,  and  after  that  she 
looked  steadily  into  Hugh's  white  face. 

Mr.  Frewen  read  the  marriage  service,  and 
under  the  compulsion  of  Miss  Crush's  eyes  and 
voice,  Hugh  made  the  responses,  intoning  his 
words  like  the  clergyman.  He  placed  the  ring 
of  Tancred  on  her  finger  and  repeated  the  vows 
like  a  man  in  a  dream.  He  knelt  beside  her 
while  the  blessing  was  uttered,  and  afterward 
signed  his  name  in  the  record-book  while  Mr. 
Frewen  made  out  the  marriage  certificate. 

"  Kiss  me,"  said  Miss  Crush  in  his  ear. 

He  pressed  his  lips  against  her  mouth  and 
smiled  faintly.  Then  they  stood  hand  in  hand. 

"  My  sincere  congratulations,"  cried  the 
Madame,  embracing  the  bride  and  kissing  her 
on  both  cheeks.  "  Your  ladyship  —  " 

"  'Ssh  !  not  now  "  —  and  the  black  eyes 
snapped  with  anger.  "  We'll  speak  of  that  to- 
morrow." 

"  H'm,  I    think  we'd   better   retire,"  said    Mr. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  181 

Frewen,  with  a  prolonged  cackle.  "  He !  he ! 
Two's  company  and  —  well,  you  know  the  rest." 
And  he  took  up  his  hat  and  moved  toward  the 
door  with  Madame  Grocroft. 

An  hour  passed.  The  heavy  crystal  ball  rolled 
from  the  table  and  crashed  on  the  floor.  Hugh 

o 

started  and  shook  himself.  His  face  twitched, 
and  a  look  of  returning  consciousness  came  into 
his  eyes.  Miss  Grush  bent  her  glance  upon  him 
and  placed  her  hand  on  his  head,  but  he  shook 
her  off.  His  lips  were  wet  with  saliva.  He  was 
dimly  aware  of  having  yielded  in  a  struggle  with 
some  invisible  enemy.  The  air  seemed  to  be 
filled  with  drifting  fiery  sparks.  Something  in  the 
room  fell  with  a  loud  thud,  and  Hugh  awoke  in 
his  right  mind,  to  find  himself  alone  with  the 
black-eyed  adventuress.  He  blinked  his  eyes 
and  yawned. 

"Why,  what  a  curious  experience  I've  had," 
he  said  with  a  smile.  "  I'm  afraid  I've  been  rude 
enough  to  fall  asleep.  Do  you  know,  I  dreamed 
that  we  were  married  right  in  this  room,  and  I 
can  recall  a  book  in  which  I  signed  my  name  as 
plainly  as  if  it  had  happened ;  and,  and  "  —  he 


182  EAGLE    BLOOD 

laughed  nervously  —  "I  dreamed  that  I  put 
my  old  ring  on  your  finger,  and  —  why,  there's 
that  crystal  ball  on  the  floor,  and  —  I  remember 
it  all  now  —  you  were  trying  to  mesmerize  me, 
and  I  tried  to  hold  my  own  against  you." 

He  pressed  his  hand  across  his  face  and  looked 
around  the  room  in  a  bewildered  way. 

"I  —  I  could  have  sworn  we  were  married,"  he 
said.  "  It  was  so  real  —  and  Madame  Grocroft 
was  here  and  a  funny  old  rag-bag  of  a  parson." 

Miss  Griish  looked  at  him  tenderly  and  played 
with  the  green  crystal  heart  at  her  throat. 

"  Would  you  have  been  sorry  to  find  the  dream 
true  ?  "  she  said  softly. 

"  Oh,  come,  now,"  he  answered,  "  you  can't 
expect  me  to  say  how  I'd  feel  if  I  were  an 
enchanted  prince  in  a  pantomime.  Perhaps  the 
joke  would  have  been  on  you." 

She  leaned  her  head  sidewise  and  gave  him  a 
strange  look  out  of  her  half-closed  eyes.  The 
indescribable  gypsy  expression  that  impressed 
him  when  he  first  saw  her  had  returned  to  her 
face.  She  came  nearer  to  him  with  a  sinuous, 
swaying  motion. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  183 

"  Hugh,  my  husband,"  she  purred. 

"What?  "  he  cried  with  a  look  of  horror. 

"  It's  all  true,  dearest,"  she  said  with  a  mock- 
ing smile,  as  she  held  up  her  hand  and  showed 
the  ring  of  Tancred.  "  See,  here  is  the  ring, 
beloved.  I  am  now  your  wedded  wife,  Viscount- 
ess Delaunay  and  the  Countess  of  Castlehurst 
to  be." 

He  gasped  and  staggered  back. 

"  You're  mad  !  "  he  shouted.  "  What  vile 
trick  is  this  and  why  have  you  stolen  my  ring, 
you  shameless  creature  ?  " 

"  No,  I'm  not  mad,''  she  said  in  a  steady  voice. 
"  We  were  married  in  regular  form  by  a  clergy- 
man in  the  presence  of  a  witness  within  the  hour. 
My  God,  Hugh,"  —  her  bosom  heaved  and  her 
cheeks  glowed  with  color  —  "I  was  driven  to  this 
by  my  love.  Don't,  don't  look  at  me  like  that. 
Forgive  me  and  take  me  to  your  heart.  I  know 
I've  taken  a  desperate  chance  for  happiness,  but 
my  life  has  been  so  lonely,  so  miserable,  and  I 
love  you  as  no  woman  ever  loved  a  man  before. 
Take  me,  Hugh,  for  I  am  your  true  wife  before 
God  and  man." 


1 84  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  You  damned  adventuress  !  "  he  roared  ;  but 
she  fell  on  her  knees  at  his  feet  and  bowed  her 
head. 

"  Curse  me,"  she  cried.  "  I  deserve  it !  See, 
I  am  at  your  feet,  dear — your  lawful  wife,  whom 
you  have  sworn  to  love  and  cherish  until  death. 
Trample  on  me  if  you  will,  but  oh,  Hugh,  Hugh, 
I've  dared  to  do  this  for  the  love  I  bear  you. 
I've  had  you  for  my  own  for  this  one  hour,  at 
least.  I  know  it  was  wrong,  but  I  have  been  so, 
so  unhappy  all  my  days,  and  seeing  this  one 
chance  of  heaven  before  me,  I  took  it." 

She  burst  into  a  wild  fit  of  weeping. 

"I'll  work  for  you,  I'll  plan  for  you,  I'll  con- 
quer success  for  you,  dear,"  she  sobbed.  "  I 
have  brains  and  experience ;  I  know  the  world ; 
I  know  how  to  serve  those  I  love  —  and  I'll  be 
your  slave  for  life.  Tell  me  to  die,  and  I'll  kill 
myself — tell  me  to  live,  and  I'll  live  for  you. 
Have  pity,  for  you  are  a  strong  man  and  I  am 
a  weak  woman  whose  existence  has  been  one 
prolonged  misery  until  this  hour." 

She  raised  her  tear-stained  face,  her  black  hair 
unfastened  and  hanging  about  it  like  a  cowl. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  185 

Hugh's  countenance  was  stern,  and  there  was 
a  dangerous  glitter  in  his  blue  eyes. 

"  Have  you  no  fear  of  prison  ?  "  he  said  in 
a  hard  voice.  "  No,  you  needn't  try  any  more 
tricks,  for  I'm  on  my  guard" — she  was  gazing 
fiercely  into  his  eyes  as  if  to  overpower  him 
again.  "  You  can't  do  it  a  second  time.  Wise 
men  as  well  as  fools  may  make  mistakes,  but  it's 
only  a  foot  who  makes  the  same  mistake  twice. 
If  it's  true  that  I  was  trapped  into  a  marriage 
ceremony,  you'll  have  a  chance  to  try  the  power 
of  your  arts  on  a  judge  and  jury.  Out  of  my 
way,  you  low  woman  !  " 

With  a  piercing  cry  of  "  Hugh !  "  she  rose 
and  tried  to  throw  her  arms  about  him,  but  he 
thrust  her  from  him  in  disgust  and  rushed  out  of 
the  room. 

The  deserted  bride  stood  motionless,  listening 
to  the  sound  of  his  retreating  footsteps.  There 
were  dark  rings  under  her  eyes,  and  she  seemed 
to  have  suddenly  grown  older.  She  shivered 
and  drew  her  garments  about  her  as  she  went 
to  the  table  and  drank  a  mouthful  of  ale  left 
in  Hugh's  glass.  Then  she  perched  herself  on 


186  EAGLE    BLOOD 

the  edge  of  the  table,  with  one  leg  curled  under 
the  other,  and  lit  a  cigarette.  In  her  hand  was 
a  crumpled  paper,  which  she  carefully  straight- 
ened out.  It  was  the  marriage  certificate.  The 
cigarette  smoke  slipped  from  between  her  lips 
and  curled  about  her  head,  and  she  smiled  as  she 
read  the  proof  of  her  victory  through  the  mist. 

"  Hugh  Dorsay  and  Barbara  Grush."  She 
repeated  the  names  over  and  over.  Then,  catch- 
ing a  glimpse  of  herself  in  the  mirror,  she  slid 
from  the  table  and  regarded  herself  earnestly  in 
the  glass. 

"  Poor  girl !  "  she  murmured,  "  you've  had 
a  hard  time  of  it  in  this  world.  Fate  has  played 
you  strange  tricks."  Then,  with  a  sudden  change 
of  mood,  she  frowned  at  her  face.  "  You  devil, 
you  ought  to  succeed." 

Taking  the  ring  from  her  finger,  she  examined 
it  closely.  The  strange  carving  of  the  worn 
tablet,  with  its  almost  obliterated  inscription, 
excited  her  curiosity,  and  she  picked  at  it.  The 
secret  shutter  of  the  tablet  flew  open,  disclosing 
the  sorrowful  face  of  Christ.  She  shuddered  and 
turned  out  the  light. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

MR.  IRKINS  was  irritated.  For  years  his 
newspaper  had  fiercely  advocated  war  against 
Spain  for  the  emancipation  of  the  Cuban  Re- 
public ;  and  now  Congress  had  authorized  the 
President  to  drive  the  Spaniards  out  of  the  west- 
ern hemisphere,  without  even  mentioning  the 
Mail.  Such  ingratitude  was  not  to  be  borne  in 
silence.  Nay,  more,  there  was  even  a  disposition 
on  the  part  of  rival  newspapers  to  jeer  at  Mr. 
Irkins  and  to  make  light  of  the  countless  offer- 
ings he  had  laid  upon  the  altar  of  freedom.  The 
President  had  joined  the  crowned  despots  and 
brutal  ministers  of  Europe  in  refusing  to  reply  to 
Mr.  Irkins's  messages  —  answers  prepaid  —  ask- 
ing for  signed  statements  regarding  the  Mail's 
war  policy.  His  plan  of  campaign,  telegraphed 
to  the  Secretary  of  War  and  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  had  been  ignored,  and  a  distinguished 

187 


i88  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Admiral,  to  whom  he  had  offered  advice,  had 
heartlessly  asked  him  by  wire  whether  he  had 
ever  heard  of  the  man  in  Chicago  who  made  a 
large  fortune  by  minding  his  own  business. 

The  master  of  strenuous  journalism  sat  in  his 
office  reading  the  proofs  of  a  double-leaded  edi- 
torial challenging  the  leagued  powers  of  Europe 
to  interfere  with  the  Mail's  armed  policy  in 
Cuba,  and  darkly  hinting  at  certain  dire  conse- 
quences that  would  follow.  He  tugged  at  his 
red  beard  and  occasionally  lifted  his  head  to 
listen  to  the  crowd  in  the  street  cheering  the 
Mail's  war  bulletins.  Mr.  Irkins  liked  the 
sound.  It  was  music  in  his  ears.  No  other 
newspaper  in  the  world  could  make  the  mob  roar 
like  that. 

Presently  he  touched  an  electric  button,  and 
the  door  opened  slightly. 

"No,  sir,"  said  an  unctuous  voice,  "  I  tell  you 
that  Mr.  Irkins  isn't  in.  I  saw  him  leave  the 
office  a  moment  ago.  You  can  catch  him  in  the 
street,  sir,  if  you're  quick." 

There  was  a  pause,  and  then  the  door  swung 
back  and  a  white-haired,  clean-shaven  man,  with 


EAGLE    BLOOD  189 

the  saintly  aspect  of  a  bishop,  entered  and  bowed 
to  Mr.  Irkins. 

"You're  invaluable,  James,"  said  the  proprie- 
tor, without  looking  up  from  the  proof  sheets. 
"I  really  don't  know  how  I'd  get  along  without 
you." 

The  venerable  attendant  smiled  gratefully. 

"  You  lie  like  an  angel." 

James's  shrewd  eyes  twinkled,  and  he  coughed 
modestly  at  the  compliment. 

"  Has  Miss  Grush  come  in  ?  " 

"  Not  yet,  sir." 

"  Tell  Mr.  Benthorp  I  want  to  see  him,  and 
when  Miss  Grush  arrives  tell  her  to  come  to  me 
immediately." 

Mr.  Irkins  paced  the  room  with  long  strides, 
pausing  each  time  he  reached  the  window,  to 
watch  the  frantic,  hurrahing  crowds  in  front  of  the 
Mail's  bulletin  board.  His  big,  bony  hands  were 
locked  behind  his  back,  and  there  was  a  grim  look 
in  his  pallid  face.  He  smacked  his  lips  impatiently. 
He  was  a  strange  man,  with  a  strange  ambition. 
Money,  political  honors,  social  distinction,  literary 
eminence,  domestic  bliss — for  these  he  cared  little. 


190  EAGLE    BLOOD 

His  one  aim  in  life  was  to  be  able  to  say  that  the 
Mail  had  a  larger  circulation  than  any  other  news- 
paper in  the  world.  Circulation  was  his  god. 
Nothing  interested  him  unless  it  contributed  to 
the  sale  of  the  Mail.  His  philosophy  was  simple. 
The  financier  was  great  according  to  the  number 
of  dollars  he  owned,  the  politician  was  great  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  votes  he  could  command,  and 
the  journalist  was  great  according  to  the  number 
of  newspapers  he  sold.  He  was  honest  and  even 
generous  in  his  dealings  with  men.  His  power- 
ful personality,  penetrating  mind,  lightning-like 
intuition,  amazing  capacity  for  continued  effort, 
and  courage  would  have  brought  success  to  him 
in  almost  any  sphere  of  life.  But  he  worshipped 
at  the  altar  of  publicity,  sacrificing  fortune,  health, 
friends,  and  peace  for  the  sake  of  his  deity.  The 
great  multitude  in  the  street,  which  at  that  moment 
was  lustily  singing  the  national  anthem,  was  simply 
so  many  readers.  He  was  patriotic  enough  and 
eager  to  serve  his  country,  but  the  war  with  Spain, 
after  all,  was  a  great  opportunity  for  increasing 
the  circulation  of  the  Mail ;  the  greater  the  battles 
and  the  fiercer  the  outburst  of  national  passion, 


EAGLE    BLOOD  191 

the  larger  would  be  the  sales  of  the  Mail.  The 
human  race  was  a  mere  market  for  printed  white 
paper. 

The  door  opened  and  a  tall  man,  with  a  severe, 
scholarly  countenance  and  close-cropped  white 
beard,  entered  the  room. 

"Ah,  Mr.  Benthorp  !  "  said  Mr.  Irkins,  briskly, 
taking  up  the  proofs  from  his  table.  "  I've  been 
reading  your  editorial." 

"  How  does  it  strike  you,  sir  ?  " 

"'Um,  the  type's  too  small,"  said  the  pro- 
prietor, thrusting  out  his  lower  lip  and  eying  the 
proofs  critically.  "  Man  alive,  how  do  you  expect 
to  pound  anything  into  the  heads  of  a  New  York 
crowd  in  small  type  ?  Haven't  I  preached  and 
preached  and  explained  the  necessity  for  large 
type  ?  What  man  in  that  crowd  out  there  knows 
the  difference  between  an  important  or  unimpor- 
tant statement  unless  you  scream  it  into  his  face  ?  " 

"  But  this  editorial,  sir,  is  addressed  to  the  gov- 
ernments of  Europe." 

"Governments  of  Europe  !"  cried  Mr.  Irkins, 
with  a  frown.  "  How  many  copies  of  the  Mail 
do  you  suppose  the  governments  of  Europe  buy  ? 


192  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Everything  in  my  paper  is  addressed  to  the  millions 
who  read  it  and  who  forget  to-morrow  what  they 
learn  to-day.  Why,  think  of  a  war  editorial 
printed  in  brevier  type  ! — just  think  of  it  soberly, 
Mr.  Benthorp  !  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of 
your  carelessness,  sir.  How  can  you  hear  the 
patriotic  cries  of  that  crowd  and  think  in  small 
type  ?  "  With  a  wave  of  his  hand  :  "  No,  I  won't 
hear  any  argument.  Set  it  in  large  type  and  — 
that's  all,  Mr.  Benthorp." 

As  the  tall  editor  retired,  there  was  a  rustle  of 
skirts  and  Miss  Grush  stood  before  Mr.  Irkins, 
pale  and  smiling,  her  close-fitting  gray  costume 
exhaling  the  odor  of  violets.  His  great  brown 
eyes  regarded  her  steadily,  and  he  plucked  his 
beard  thoughtfully. 

"  Sit  down,  Miss  Grush." 

"  You  wished  to  see  me  ?  "  she  asked  meekly, 
without  moving. 

"Sit  down.     I've  something   to  say  to  you." 

Miss  Grush  slid  into  a  seat  without  taking 
her  eyes  off  her  employer.  For  a  moment 
neither  spoke.  Mr.  Irkins  tapped  the  edge  of 
his  table  with  his  fingers  and  drew  a  deep 


EAGLE    BLOOD  193 

breath.  Then  he  swung  his  revolving  chair 
around  and  faced  her.  The  crowd  outside  roared 
like  the  ocean  in  a  storm,  the  sound  dying  away 
in  shrill  ululations,  with  droning  undertones  of 
tin  horns. 

"Is  it  true  that  you  have  married  Mr.  Dorsay?" 

There  was  a  steely  coldness  in  his  voice. 
Miss  Crush  started  and  changed  color. 

"Has  he  —  " 

"  No,"  said  Mr.  Irkins,  in  the  same  icy  tone, 
"  he  has  said  nothing  to  me  about  -it.  He  told 
me  that  he  was  in  deep  trouble,  and  asked  to 
be  sent  to  the  firing  line  in  Cuba.  He  starts 
for  the  front  to-day." 

She  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief. 

"  But  the  marriage  is  recorded  in  the  Bureau 
of  Vital  Statistics." 

"  Well  ? " 

"  Well  ? " 

"  You  have  no  explanation  to  make  ? " 

"  None." 

Mr.  Irkins  opened  a  drawer  in  the  table  and 
drew  from  it  a  document  which  he  unfolded  and 
examined  with  an  air  of  interest. 


i94  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Your  husband,  John  Baird,  who  is  serving 
a  term  in  the  Joliet  prison  in  Illinois  for 
forgery,  will  be  interested  to  know  that  his 
wife  has  —  " 

"  For  the  love  of  God,  Mr.  Irkins,  don't, 
don't  betray  me !  "  she  cried  in  a  terrified  voice. 
"He  is  dying  —  almost  dead  —  and  I've  a  right 
to  a  divorce ;  I  would  have  gone  to  the  courts 
but  for  the  shame  of  it.  I  couldn't  let  the 
world  know  me  as  a  convict's  wife.  Have  pity 
on  me,  sir.  I've  tried  to  live  it  down.  A  man 
can  live  two  lives,  but  a  woman  —  the  world 
has  no  mercy  for  her.  Oh,  if  you  only  knew 
what  a  hell  life  has  been  for  me." 

Her  voice  broke  and  she  bowed  her  head, 
twining  and  twisting  her  fingers  in  agony. 

"  It  seems  to  me,  Miss  Grush,"  said  the 
journalist,  grimly,  "  that  this  is  a  simple  case 
of  bigamy  and  that  you  cannot  hope  to  escape 
a  long  term  of  imprisonment  unless "  —  he 
hesitated  and  looked  at  her  keenly  —  "unless 
you  are  willing  to  let  your  victim  out  of  the 
trap." 

She    made   an    impulsive    movement   and    at- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  195 

tempted  to  speak,  but  he  raised  his  hand 
sternly. 

"  I  can't  imagine  why  you  wanted  to  marry 
this  young  man,"  he  continued.  "  He  is  poor, 
and  you  are  not  the  kind  of  woman  who  falls 
in  love." 

"Your  brother  thought  otherwise,"  she  said 
sullenly. 

"  Ay,  poor  boy ;  but  we'll  let  him  and  his 
sins  rest  in  the  grave.  He  wronged  you  in 
your  youth,  and  he  paid  bitterly  for  it  after- 
ward. Your  dissolute,  vagabond  mother  — 
making  a  weapon  of  your  shame  —  drove  him 
to  suicide." 

"  He  found  me  an  innocent  girl,  scarcely  old 
enough  to  know  right  from  wrong,"  she  cried 
passionately. 

"  And  your  soulless  parent  cozened  and 
tempted  him  into  the  sin  that  ruined  his  life 
and  embittered  mine.  I  lost  sight  of  you 
until  you  turned  up  in  my  service,  and  it  was 
agreed  between  us  that  this  matter  should  never 

o 

be  spoken  of  again."  He  gulped,  and  clenched 
his  hands.  "  Why  do  you  disturb  the  dead  ?  " 


196  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  You  would  rob  me  of  my  last  hope  in  life," 
she  panted,  her  black  eyes  blazing  with  hatred 
and  a  deadly  grayness  stealing  over  her  face. 
"  John  Baird  is  dying  in  prison ;  he'll  not  live 
a  week.  What  if  I  have  anticipated  his  death  ? 
What  have  I  to  do  with  him  ?  I  changed  my 
name  in  order  to  escape  from  the  shame  he 
brought  upon  it,  and  I've  lived  an  honest  life 
—  oh,  God!"  —  she  clutched  at  her  flat  bosom 
savagely  — "  why  do  you  stand  in  my  way  ? 
Why  do  you  torment  me  ?  Isn't  it  enough  that 
I've  kept  silent  all  these  years?  and  now  — 
now  —  " 

The  lean  throat  choked  with  passion.  Mr. 
Irkins  paced  the  room  without  speaking,  his  hands 
clasped  behind  him,  and  his  gaunt  countenance 
working  with  suppressed  emotion.  The  thunder- 
ous applause  of  the  crowd  in  the  street  shook  the 
air  again  and  again,  but  he  took  no  note  of  it  as 
he  moved  to  and  fro  with  regular,  noiseless  tread. 

"  Your  mother  was  a  half-breed  Arab,"  he  said, 
without  looking  at  her.  "  You  have  inherited 
her  black  art  as  well  as  her  blood.  God  knows 
how  you  tricked  young  Dorsay  into  this  marriage, 


EAGLE    BLOOD  197 

but  it  was  some  cunning  deviltry  that  blinded  his 
eyes  and  turned  his  brain.  I  know  him  too  well 
to  believe  that  he'd  do  it  in  possession  of  his 
ordinary  senses.  He's  not  a  fool.  You  trapped 
him  as  your  mother  —  " 

"  We  were  married  by  a  clergyman  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  witness,"  said  Miss  Grush. 

"  Yes,  I  know,  I  know,"  —  he  continued  to 
tread  the  carpet  restlessly, — "but  it  was  a  damnable 
plot  of  some  kind.  If  I  can't  make  him  open 
his  lips,  by  God,  I've  the  key  to  yours." 

He  turned  upon  her  a  face  so  terrible  in  its 
suggestion  of  ruthless  force  —  the  upper  lip  un- 
covering a  row  of  sharp  teeth,  and  the  great  brown 
eyes  glowing  under  the  bristling  brows  —  that  she 
cowered  before  him. 

"  Come,  out  with  it !  "  he  exclaimed,  stamping 
his  foot. 

"  What  do  you  want  ? "  she  whimpered,  without 
raising  her  eyes. 

"  The  truth,  without  reservation  or  evasion  !  " 

"  And  if  I  refuse  to  discuss  my  affairs  with  you 
any  further  ?  "  She  glanced  at  him  furtively. 

"  I'll  hand  you  over  to  the  police  as  a  bigamist." 


198  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  I  love  him." 

"  Bah  !  " 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Irkins,  have  some  pity  !  Mr.  Dor- 
say  sought  me  as  a  wife  —  believe  me,  he  did. 
There  was  no  trick,  no  deceit.  We  have  been 
friends,  companions,  lovers  for  a  long  time." 

"  And  you  expect  me  to  believe  this  ?  " 

"  It's  the  simple  truth.  My  only  fault  was  in 
not  waiting  till  my  —  till  he  was  dead.  Heaven 
be  my  judge,  I  am  innocent  of  any  offence  but 
that."  Her  black  eyes  brimmed  with  tears. 
"Ah,  you  are  a  strong  man,  Mr.  Irkins,  and  you 
can  afford  to  be  merciful  to  a  woman.  Take  this 
from  me  and  I  am  lost." 

She  stretched  her  hands  out  toward  him  and 
pleaded  with  her  eyes.  The  harsh  look  died  out 
of  his  face,  and  he  ran  his  fingers  through  his  coarse 
hair  with  an  uneasy  movement. 

"I'm  only  a  man,"  he  said  quietly,  "and  men 
sometimes  make  mistakes.  You  say  Mr.  Dorsay 
loves  you,  and  married  you  of  his  own  free  will  ?  " 

"  As  I  hope  for  salvation." 

He  made  a  gesture  of  disgust  and  turned 
away. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  199 

"  I  have  a  strong  affection  for  this  young  Eng- 
lishman," he  said  gravely,  "  and  no  harm  shall 
come  to  him  if  I  can  prevent  it." 

Touching  an  electric  button,  he  waited  in  silence 
until  the  venerable  attendant  thrust  his  snowy 
head  cautiously  in  the  partly  opened  door. 

"  If  Mr.  Dorsay  is  in  the  building,  tell  him  I 
want  to  see  him  at  once." 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  And  telephone  to  the  Superintendent  of  Police 
that  I  would  like  him  to  send  a  detective  sergeant 
to  me  on  an  urgent  case  that  won't  wait.  Stay !  " 
—  with  a  wave  of  his  hand ;  "  no,  never  mind 
that  —  it'll  do  later.  Get  Mr.  Dorsay.  Be 
quick,  James." 

Miss  Grush  bounded  out  of  her  chair  like 
a  frightened  animal. 

"  What  do  you  mean  to  do  ?  "  she  screamed. 

Mr.  Irkins  sat  down  at  his  table  and  looked 
at  her  calmly.  Her  drawn  lips  were  bloodless, 
her  thin  nostrils  dilated,  and  her  eyes  twitched 
from  side  to  side. 

"  I  mean  to  bring  you  face  to  face  with  him. 
If  you  have  lied,  you  know  your  fate.  There 


200  EAGLE    BLOOD 

is  no  escape.  No,  you  can't  get  out,"  —  she 
glanced  wildly  at  the  door,  —  "  this  electric  lever 
on  the  table  locks  it.  The  door  can  only  be 
opened  from  the  outside  now.  I  had  that  con- 
trivance made  after  Senator  Bantry  assaulted  me 
and  escaped." 

She  looked  at  him  dully  for  a  moment;  then 
an  evil  light  played  in  her  inky  eyes.  The  old 
catlike  softness  came  into  her  voice. 

"  Do  you  understand  what  you're  doing  ?  — 
what  it  means  to  me  ? " 

He  regarded  her  steadily.  The  hollow  cheeks 
were  bright  with  a  sudden  flow  of  blood ;  she 
was  almost  beautiful. 

"  I  think  I  understand  the  situation,  Miss 
Crush,"  he  said  slowly,  as  he  sliced  a  sheet  of 
a  paper  with  a  keen-edged  paper-knife  and 
flicked  the  fragments  away  with  his  fingers. 
"  You're  a  more  subtle  student  of  the  human 
heart  than  I  take  you  to  be,  or  you're  a  very 
desperate  criminal.  In  either  case  you're  playing 
a  game  which  I  confess  I  do  not  at  this  moment 
understand.  One  thing  is  quite  certain  —  you've 
placed  yourself  within  the  reach  of  the  law. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  201 

Bigamy" — he  nodded  his  head  and  pursed  his 
lips  —  "is  a  felony  in  this  state." 

He  paused  for  a  moment  and  played  with  the 
glittering  point  of  the  knife.  Then  he  went  on. 

"  It  is  fortunate  that  I  learned  of  this  marriage 
in  time  —  very  fortunate.  Curiously  enough, 
you  and  I  are  the  only  persons  who  are  aware 
of  the  crime." 

"  What  would  you  have  me  do  ? "  she  de- 
manded, with  a  gesture  of  impatience.  "  The 
thing  is  done  now." 

"  Give  up  your  victim.  Sign  a  confession  of 
your  crime  and  leave  the  country  at  once." 

"  And  if  I   refuse  ?  " 

Mr.  Irkins  laid  down  the  paper-knife  and 
leaned  his  head  on  his  hand,  studying  the  pattern 
of  the  carpet. 

"  You  shall  go  to  prison,"  he  said  without  a 
trace  of  feeling. 

She  sat  rigidly  upright  with  stunned,  staring 
eyes.  There  was  a  faint  rattle  in  her  throat. 

"  You  might  as  well  appeal  for  mercy  to  that 
bronze,"  he  added,  tapping  a  massive  paper- 
weight. 


202  EAGLE    BLOOD 

She  gazed  at  him  as  he  rose  from  the  table 
and  turned  his  back  upon  her.  Her  dark  face 
was  convulsed  with  instant  fury.  She  crouched 
in  her  seat  for  a  moment,  trembling  with  passion- 
ate hate.  Then  she  seized  the  bronze  weight 
and  hurled  it  at  him.  It  struck  the  back  of  his 
head,  and  he  fell  to  the  floor  without  a 
sound. 

Clutching  the  paper-knife,  she  stood  over  the 
prostrate  body  and  watched  a  thin  stream  of 
crimson  run  along  the  white  neck  and  lose  itself 
in  the  beard.  She  seemed  to  be  fascinated  by 
the  sight. 

A  sudden  roar  burst  from  the  multitude  in 
the  street.  The  tumult  grew  louder  and  fiercer, 
with  a  hoarse  accompaniment  of  singing  and 
piercing,  whistling  notes. 

As  the  storm  of  sound  raged  in  the  air,  Miss 
Crush  stirred  the  body  with  her  foot.  The  hand 
in  which  she  held  the  knife  was  seized  from 
behind,  and,  turning  with  a  low  cry,  she  faced 
Hugh,  who  had  closed  the  door  behind  him  as 
he  entered. 

"  You  !  "    she    stammered  ;    and    then,    seeing 


EAGLE    BLOOD  203 

the  look  of  horror  in  his  face,  she  tried  to  twist 
herself  from  his  grasp. 

"  Murderess  !  "  he  cried,  as  he  caught  her  other 
wrist  and  forced  her  toward  the  wall. 

For  answer  she  sank  her  teeth  in  his  hand  and 
fought  tigerously  to  escape.  The  shrieking  of 
the  crowd  outside  rilled  the  little  room  with  its 
discordant  din,  and  through  the  tremendous  roar- 
ing came  the  dull  tramping  and  chanting  of  a 
passing  procession.  She  writhed  in  his  hands 
with  desperate  courage  until  the  veins  stood  out  on 
her  forehead  and  her  eyes  started  from  their  sock- 
ets. But  his  arms  were  too  strong,  and  he  pinned 
her  against  the  wall.  The  knife  fell  to  the  floor. 

"  No  !  no  !  "  she  moaned.  "  Let  me  go.  I 
didn't  touch  him.  He  fell  —  he  —  "  A  fit  of 
sobbing  choked  her  utterance. 

"  Why  have  you  done  this  ?  "  demanded  Hugh, 
tightening  his  hold. 

"  He  insulted  me.  Oh,  Hugh  !  my  husband  ! 
save  your  poor  wife  from  shame.  I  can't  tell  you 
now  —  my  brain  is  on  fire  —  I  can't  think.  Oh, 
Lord  Delaunay,  I  did  it  for  your  sake,  —  believe 
me." 


204  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  You  lying  snake ! "  he  muttered.  "  You  would 
have  murdered  him." 

In  a  twinkling  the  passion  left  her  face  and  she 
drooped. 

"  Release  my  hands,"  she  whispered.  "I  can't 
escape  now  ;  I'm  in  your  power.  You're  hurting 
me." 

He  relaxed  his  grip,  and  she  staggered  to  a 
chair  and  sat  down  with  a  convulsive  sigh.  Her 
countenance  was  haggard,  and  a  bright  stain  of 
blood  showed  on  her  lips.  Instinctively  she 
smoothed  the  folds  of  her  gray  dress  and 
straightened  her  bonnet,  which  had  fallen  awry 
in  the  struggle.  Her  coolness  seemed  to  return. 

"  I'll  give  you  up,"  she  said.  "  All  I  ask  is 
my  liberty." 

"Your  —  ?" 

"  Hush ! "  she  purred,  watching  his  eyes. 
"  Give  me  a  chance  for  freedom,  an  hour's  start, 
and  you'll  never  hear  of  me  again.  It  was  all  a 
mistake"  —  she  panted  like  a  hunted  creature  — 
"  a  blind,  foolish  mistake.  I  was  mad,  mad ; 
your  title  tempted  me.  As  there  is  a  God  in 
heaven,  I  will  never  trouble  you.  What  will  you 


EAGLE    BLOOD 


205 


gain  by  sending  to  prison  a  woman  who  can  claim 
you  as  her  husband  ?  " 

Hugh  set  his  jaws  hard  and  shook  his  head. 
A  deep  groan  came  from  the  figure  on  the  floor, 
and  Mr.  Irkins  struggled  to  raise  himself.  In  an 
instant  Hugh  was  kneeling  beside  him,  supporting 
the  languid,  bloody  head  in  his  arms.  Mr.  Irkins 
opened  his  eyes.  They  were  bright  with  fever. 

"Big  type!"  he  commanded  wildly.  "Big 
type  for  the  common  people.  They  can  see  it 
and  understand  it.  Let  the  aristocracy  read  small 
type  —  there's  no  circulation  in  it.  I  want  to 
address  the  millions.  What?  —  midnight!  and 
no  pictures  for  the  first  page.  Print  the  Presi- 
dent's picture,  the  governor's,  the  mayor's,  any- 
body's picture  —  make  a  brilliant  show-window 
if  you  want  to  sell  —  eh,  Mr.  Dorsay  ?  "  Hugh 
was  rubbing  his  employer's  temples.  "  Why, 
what  are  you  doing  ?  —  what's  the  matter  ?  — 
who,  why,  —  what's  that  shouting  for  ?  —  oh,  my 
head  !  "  The  wounded  man  swooned. 

Glancing  behind  him,  Hugh  saw  that  Miss 
Grush  had  escaped  from  the  room.  Dashing  the 
door  open  he  summoned  the  attendant. 


206  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Miss  Grush,"  he  exclaimed,  seizing  the  aston- 
ished old  man  by  the  shoulders  and  shaking  him. 
"  Why  didn't  you  stop  her  ?  " 

"  Stop  her  ? "  answered  James  as  he  wrested 
himself  indignantly  away  from  the  excited  youth. 
"  Why  should  I  ?  " 

"  Where  is  she  ?  " 

"  Don't  know,  sir.  She  left  the  building  just 
now,  and  she  asked  me  to  tell  you  not  to  forget 
that  she  had  your  ring." 

Hugh's  jaw  dropped  at  the  mention  of  the  ring 
of  Tancred  which  he  had  placed  on  her  finger  in 
the  hypnotic  trance  when  he  uttered  his  marriage 
vow. 

"Call  the  police!"  he  shouted.  "She  has 
attempted  to  kill  Mr.  Irkins.  Give  the  alarm  ! 
—  telephone  for  detectives  !  —  send  for  a  doc- 
tor ! —  quick!  quick!  he  may  be  dying." 

Returning  to  the  room  he  found  Mr.  Irkins 
half-raised  on  his  elbow,  his  head  resting  against 
the  leg  of  the  table.  The  proprietor  of  the  Mail 
raved  in  a  weak  voice.  His  mind  was  battling 
with  problems  of  journalism,  fiercely  criticising, 
denouncing,  exhorting,  and  commanding.  When 


EAGLE    BLOOD  207 

the  pale  little  doctor  arrived,  he  declared  that 
the  patient  would  recover,  but  that  it  might 
be  many  weeks  before  he  could  explain  the 
crime. 

All  through  the  night  Hugh  sat  by  the  sick 
man's  bedside,  while  the  police  were  searching 
New  York  in  vain  for  a  trace  of  Miss  Crush. 
From  time  to  time  the  detectives  came  to  the 
hospital  and  questioned  him,  but  he  could  give 
them  no  clew  to  the  whereabouts  of  the  fugitive. 
Mr.  Irkins  was  a  childless  widower,  and  there 
was  none  to  question  Hugh's  right  to  watch 
the  gaunt  face  and  moisten  the  fevered  lips. 
Just  before  daybreak  the  sufferer  became  partly 
conscious.  Seeing  Hugh  bending  over  him,  he 
smiled. 

"  It's  all  right,  my  boy,"  he  said.  "  She 
can't  harm  you.  She  —  " 

But  the  effort  to  think  was  too  great,  and 
he  relapsed  into  delirium,  appealing  to  the  quiet 
nurse  to  get  the  paper  to  press  in  time  for  the 
Southern  mail  connections. 

After  a  few  hours'  sleep  Hugh  went  to  the 
office.  As  he  reached  his  desk,  an  attendant 


208  EAGLE    BLOOD 

handed  him  a  note  addressed  in  Miss  Grush's 
neat  handwriting. 

"A  boy  brought  it  about  midnight,"  he 
explained. 

Hugh  opened  the  envelope  and  read  her 
message  :  — 

"To  THE  VISCOUNT  DELAUNAY  :  — 

"  My  dear  Hugh :  I  write  to  you  as  one 
dead.  Whether  I  seek  safety  in  the  grave  or 
find  some  other  asylum,  I  want  you  to  know 
that  you  shall  never  see  my  face  again.  Try 
to  think  of  me  as  a  woman  tempted  beyond 
her  strength.  There  are  others,  with  less 
temptation  than  mine,  who  have  sold  their 
bodies  and  souls  for  titles,  without  a  word  of 
condemnation  from  the  world.  I  thought  I 
saw  a  new  life  opening  before  me,  a  life  in  which 
I  might  live  up  to  the  full  measure  of  my 
woman's  vanity.  And  now  the  black  pit  yawns 
at  my  feet. 

"  The  ring  you  gave  me  I  shall  keep ;  and 
yet  it  seems  to  burn  my  flesh.  I  opened  it 
to-night  and  the  Christ  head  made  me  weep. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  209 

So  I  saw  that  face  when  I  was  an  innocent  child. 
My  God !  what  have  I  done  ?  Is  there  no 
expiation  for  my  sin  ?  Am  I  to  live  the  life 
of  a  hunted  criminal?  —  and  only  yesterday  the 
brightest  ambition  of  my  heart  was  almost  realized. 

"  I  ask  you  to  believe  that  I  had  no  thought 
of  injuring  Mr.  Irkins  when  I  entered  his  room. 
I  was  in  a  trap.  He  threatened  me,  and  I  lost 
my  head.  The  blow  was  not  premeditated. 
You  saw  me  with  a  knife  in  my  hand,  but  there 
was  no  murder  in  my  soul.  I  was  bewildered, 
stunned,  almost  crazed  by  the  result  of  my  mad 
act.  Even  now  I  can  see  the  blood  stealing 
across  his  neck  and  hear  the  shrieking  of  the 
crowd  in  the  street.  It  seemed  to  me  at  that 
moment  as  if  a  thousand  spirits  of  the  air  were 
clamoring  for  vengeance.  And  then  you  came 
and —  I  need  not  tell  you  the  rest. 

"  Where  shall  I  turn  for  rest  or  hope  ?  I 
dare  not  give  the  least  hint  of  my  heavy  sorrow 
to  any  one !  I  must  bear  my  anguish  alone. 
O  that  I  might  tell  some  one  —  tell  it  all  — 
free  my  mind  and  heart  —  ease  my  soul  of  its 
burden.  I  have  never  known  what  it  was  to 


210  EAGLE    BLOOD 

be  lonely  until  now.  Ah,  friend  that  once  was, 
pity  me  and  pray  for  me,  and,  if  you  can,  forgive 
me.  I  seek  the  road  that  leads  to  peace ;  God 
only  knows  how  I  will  find  it.  To-night  I  tried 
to  pray  for  the  first  time  since  my  childhood, 
but  the  words  stuck  in  my  throat. 

"  There  is  one  thing  in  my  life  that  I  have  not 
told  you  —  that  I  cannot  tell  you,  because  my 
woman's  hand  will  not  write  it ;  for,  after  all,  I 
am  a  woman,  even  though  the  police  are  track- 
ing me  and  the  stain  of  blood  is  on  my  hands. 
If  you  knew  my  history,  it  might  help  you  to  un- 
derstand how  hard  it  is  for  some  to  live  sinlessly. 

"  This  is  the  last  you  shall  ever  hear  from  me. 
From  this  day  I  shall  die  to  all  who  have 

known  me. 

"  BARBARA  CRUSH." 

"  Any  news  of  the  woman  ?  "  said  a  voice  at 
his  elbow. 

Hugh  turned  and  saw  the  sharp-eyed  detective 
who  was  in  charge  of  the  search  for  the  fugitive. 

"  None,"  he  answered,  thrusting  her  letter  in 
his  pocket. 

It  was   drawing  toward  noon,  and  the  crowd 


EAGLE    BLOOD  211 

which  gathered  every  day  in  front  of  the  Mail 
office  to  read  the  war  bulletins  began  to  find  its 
voice.  Hugh  walked  to  a  window  and  watched 
the  swaying,  heaving  stretch  of  upturned,  eager 
faces.  As  he  looked,  the  deep  murmuring  of 
voices  swelled  into  a  deafening  shout.  Hats 
were  thrown  into  the  air.  The  crowd  surged 
forward  frantically,  and  men  and  women  ran 
from  every  direction  to  join  it.  Louder  and 
louder  grew  the  utterance  of  the  multitude,  until 
it  seemed  to  come  from  the  throat  of  a  whirl- 
wind. Something  unusual  had  happened.  An 
acre  of  human  beings  seemed  to  have  suddenly 
gone  stark  mad.  Here  and  there  men  were 
dancing  and  waving  their  hands.  A  small  boy 
carrying  an  American  flag  was  lifted  from  the 
ground  and  tossed  from  hand  to  hand  over  the 
heads  of  the  crowd.  Some  mighty  emotion 
swept  along  Broadway.  An  endless  stream  of 
humanity  poured  swiftly  toward  the  central 
scene  of  frenzied  enthusiasm. 

An  office-boy  approached  Hugh. 

"  The  managing  editor  wants  to  see  you,  Mr. 
Dorsay,"  he  said. 


212  EAGLE    BLOOD 

As  he  went  toward  the  editor's  room,  Hugh 
experienced  a  strange  feeling  of  excitement.  The 
atmosphere  was  electric.  Messengers  were  dash- 
ing through  the  rooms  and  corridors  ;  hatless, 
coatless,  wild-visaged  men  came  pressing  up  the 
stairway ;  above  the  tempestuous  roaring  of  the 
crowd  sounded  the  iron  clamor  of  church  bells 
near  and  far. 

"  Mr.  Dorsay,"  said  the  managing  editor, 
"  this  news  means  that  you  must  start  for  Asia 
as  soon  as  you  can  get  ready." 

"  What  news  ?  " 

"  Why,  haven't  you  heard  ?  Admiral  Dewey 
has  sunk  the  entire  Spanish  fleet  in  Manila  Bay. 
There  was  a  rumor  of  the  victory  in  one  of  the 
papers  this  morning,  and  it  has  just  been  con- 
firmed by  the  government." 

"  And  I  —  ?  " 

"  You're  to  go  to  the  Philippines  at  once.  I'm 
sorry  I  can't  consult  Mr.  Irkins,  but  I'm  sure  he 
would  have  chosen  you.  It's  a  great  opportunity 
for  you,  Mr.  Dorsay." 

"  Thank  God  !  "  said  Hugh.  "  I'm  glad  to  go 
away." 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE  tropical  sunlight  lay  hot  on  the  shrivelled 
brown  rice-fields  and  the  dusty  road  reaching 
tortuously  along  fringes  of  waving  green  and 
straggling  lines  of  native  huts  toward  old 
Manila.  In  spite  of  the  heavy  carts  rumbling 
behind  slow-pacing  water-buffaloes  and  the  saun- 
tering movement  of  peasants  along  the  way,  there 
was  an  impressive  stillness  in  the  parched  air. 
Here  and  there  could  be  seen  an  American  soldier, 
in  russet  khaki  uniform,  keeping  guard  in  the 
shadow  of  a  tree,  and  across  a  stretch  of  bare, 
shimmering  meadows  a  huddle  of  military  tents 
whitened  the  green  slope  on  the  verge  of  a  cool 
bamboo  thicket.  The  dense  vegetation  in  the 
rank  ditches,  touched  with  vivid  spots  of  scarlet 
and  orange,  the  brilliant  green  of  the  fronded 
woods  in  the  distant  heat-haze,  and  the  lazy  liz- 
ards, lying,  jewel-like,  on  every  boulder,  spoke  of 

213 


2i4  EAGLE    BLOOD 

a  climate  innocent  of  snow  or  ice,  an  eternal  ger- 
mination, without  death  or  resurrection. 

In  the  shade  of  an  ylang-ylang  tree  a  young 
American  lieutenant  sat  on  a  wiry  Philippine 
pony,  plucking  fragrant  green  blossoms  from  the 
drooping  boughs,  and  occasionally  watching  a 
point  where  the  road  turned  under  a  group  of 
cocoanut  palms  toward  the  bamboo  jungle  in  the 
distance.  As  he  gazed  along  the  highway,  a  tall 
young  man  in  a  white  linen  riding-dress  rode  into 
sight.  His  tanned  face  was  eloquent  of  exposure 
to  the  sun,  and  the  dust  and  foam  on  his  jaded 
pony  indicated  a  long  and  hard  journey.  The 
officer  shaded  his  eyes  with  his  hands  for  a  moment 
and  then  spurred  his  beast  forward  with  a  ringing 
cry  of  welcome. 

"  Hello,  Dorsay  !  "  he  shouted.  "  What's  the 
news  ?  How's  the  nigger  government?  " 

"  Glad  to  see  you  again,  Perry,"  said  Hugh, 
heartily.  "  It  was  good  of  you  to  come  out  to 
meet  me.  I've  had  a  rough  ride,  and  I'm  hun- 
gry and  thirsty.  Lend  me  your  canteen  — 
mine's  dry." 

After  a  gurgling  draught  from  the  canteen,  the 


EAGLE    BLOOD  215 

two  young  men  walked  their  ponies  side  by  side 
toward  the  city. 

"  I  couldn't  understand  the  hints  in  your  mes- 
sage from  Malolos,"  said  the  lieutenant,  "  and  I'm 
blessed  if  I  can  see  why  you  rode  in  here  instead 
of  taking  the  railway  ;  but  the  ways  of  an  English- 
man are  past  finding  out." 

"  I  came  down  on  the  train  as  far  as  Malinta," 
said  Hugh,  "  and  rode  around  this  way  to  take  a 
look  at  the  Philippine  troops  and  sound  the  offi- 
cers. We're  going  to  have  trouble,  Perry. 
They're  getting  ready  to  fight.  Don't  laugh,  old 
fellow  ;  I  know  what  I'm  talking  about  now.  An 
hour  ago  I  saw  them  serving  out  cartridges  in  the 
trenches.  It  was  all  I  could  do  to  persuade  them 
to  let  me  through  the  lines." 

The  officer  whistled. 

"  That  looks  like  business,"  he  exclaimed.  "  I 
don't  believe  they  realize  it  at  headquarters  ;  and, 
yet,  I  don't  know  —  the  sentries  are  being  doubled 
and  every  man  that  can  be  spared  from  the  city 
has  been  sent  out  on  the  line.  We  are  throwing 
up  new  earthworks  everywhere  around  Manila 
to-day." 


216  EAGLE    BLOOD 

They  passed  a  settlement  of  thatched  huts.  A 
group  of  chattering  natives  was  suddenly  silent 
and  scowling.  One  youth,  bolder  than  the  rest, 
brandished  a  keen-edged  bolo  and  spat  contemp- 
tuously on  the  ground.  The  riders  exchanged 
glances  and  laughed. 

"They  won't  stand  fire  after  the  first  volley," 
said  the  lieutenant.  "  Every  man-jack  of  them 
wears  an  anting-anting  under  his  shirt  to  charm 
away  bullets,  and  so  long  as  they  had  to  deal  with 
the  marksmanship  of  the  Spaniards,  that  super- 
stition grew  stronger ;  but  they'll  change  their 
minds  when  they  face  men  who  know  how  to 
shoot  straight.  It'll  take  a  powerful  hoodoo 
to  save  a  man  from  a  Krag-Jorgenson  with  an 
American  soldier  behind  it." 

"  I  talked  with  Aguinaldo  to-day,"  said  Hugh. 
"  At  first  he  strutted  up  and  down  his  audience 
room  and  refused  to  speak.  Every  time  he 
passed  a  mirror  he  looked  at  himself.  I  could 
hardly  control  the  muscles  of  my  face.  Then  he 
raised  himself  to  his  full  height  —  which  wasn't 
very  impressive,  mind  you  —  and  declared  that 
the  Philippine  Republic  was  prepared  to  main- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  217 

tain  its  independence ;  and  that  if  blood  was 
shed,  the  guilt  would  be  ours  —  those  were  his 
very  words." 

"The  little  humbug!" 

"  I  don't  know,  Perry.  He  takes  himself  seri- 
ously, and  that's  half  the  secret  of  leadership. 
His  people  are  ready  to  follow  him,  no  matter 
what  the  odds  may  be." 

"  See  here,  Dorsay,"  cried  the  lieutenant,  "  I 
don't  mind  telling  you  that  I'm  glad  a  fight  is 
coming  on.  Mine's  a  poor  trade  in  times  of 
peace.  We'll  have  to  take  the  conceit  out  of  the 
niggers  sometime,  and  we  might  as  well  do  it  now. 
You  can  bet  your  last  dollar  that  Americans  will 
never  let  go  of  anything  they  get  their  hands 
on  —  not  if  it's  worth  keeping.  A  Britisher  like 
you  ought  to  understand  that  sort  of  feeling." 

"  I  understand  it,"  said  Hugh,  "  but  I  don't 
admire  it.  I'm  getting  to  be  a  good  deal  of  an 
American  myself,  and  now  that  the  Spaniards 
have  been  driven  out  —  " 

"  We  ought  to  turn  the  archipelago  over  to 
the  natives  and  say :  c  Here  you  are !  Kill,  rob, 
burn,  raise  merry  hell,  and  enjoy  yourselves.' 


218  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Not  on  your  life,  Dorsay.  We've  left  our  conti- 
nent at  last,  and  we're  a  world  power.  The  stars 
and  stripes  are  in  Asia  to  stay." 

Something  in  the  young  soldier's  tone  brought 
the  blood  to  Hugh's  face.  The  fighting  instinct 
of  his  ancestry  was  stirred.  Eight  months  with 
the  American  army  in  the  Philippines  had  rough- 
ened and  toughened  him.  He  was  no  longer  the 
pale,  diffident  youth  who  cowered  helplessly 
within  himself  in  the  midst  of  the  whirl  and  rush 
of  modern  American  life,  but  a  brown-faced,  alert 
adventurer,  half  correspondent  and  half  scout. 
From  his  dusty  slouch  hat  to  his  spurred  boots 
he  looked  like  a  soldier,  and  he  sat  in  his  saddle 
with  a  firm  and  easy  grace.  A  life  of  keen  com- 
petition in  the  open  air — now  trailing  over  the 
rough  mountain  paths,  now  sleeping  in  an  iso- 
lated hut  among  treacherous  natives,  and  now 
riding,  as  if  for  life,  to  reach  the  cable  office  in 
Manila  before  his  rivals  —  had  awakened  in  his 
blood  some  of  the  fire  of  his  crusading  fore- 
bears. 

"  I'm  in  for  the  fight  if  it's  coming,"  he  said, 
"  but  I'm  terribly  worried  just  now.  An  old 


EAGLE    BLOOD  219 

friend  of  mine  is  due  here  from  Hong  Kong  to- 
morrow, and  his  daughter  accompanies  him." 

The  lieutenant  threw  his  head  back  and  rolled 
about  in  his  saddle  shrieking  with  laughter. 

"  I  don't  mind  telling  you  that  you're  an  ass, 
Perry,"  said  Hugh,  indignantly. 

"  Of  course,  of  course,"  exclaimed  the  officer, 
with  another  convulsion;  "but  what's  her  name?  " 

"  Mr.  Martin  is  the  veteran  of  the  Mail  staff,  a 
dear  old  fellow  who  thinks  that  human  history 
began  on  the  Fourth  day  of  July,  and  he's 
coming  out  to  study  the  situation  here  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
Miss  Martin  is  the  sweetest  little  patriot  that 
ever  made  an  Englishman  wish  he  had  been  born 
somewhere  else.  I  didn't  understand  why  people 
raved  about  American  girls  till  I  met  her.  I  says 
Perry,"  —  Hugh  looked  at  his  companion  ear- 
nestly, — "  this  will  be  a  dangerous  place  for  a 
woman  if  the  natives  break  loose,  eh  ? " 

"  You're  right,  Dorsay.  If  the  niggers  ever 
force  their  way  into  Manila  and  get  the  upper 
hand,  they'll  spare  neither  women  nor  children. 
You  ought  to  get  permission  for  your  friends  to 


220  EAGLE    BLOOD 

stay  in  the  old  fort  in  the  walled  city  till  the 
crisis  is  over.  In  case  the  natives  break  through 
our  lines  Miss  Martin  could  reach  one  of  our 
men-of-war  in  the  harbor.  But  why,  in  heaven's 
name,  does  an  American  girl  come  to  Manila  at 
a  time  like  this  ?  Why  doesn't  she  stay  in  Hong 
Kong  ? " 

Hugh  smiled,  and  stroked  his  pony's  neck 
affectionately. 

"  When  you  meet  her,  you  won't  ask  that 
question,"  he  said.  "She's  the  only  woman  I've 
met  who  would  be  likely  to  make  a  great  sacri- 
fice for  her  country." 

"  Then  you  haven't  met  many  American  girls. 
Why,  they're  the  very  backbone  of  the  republic. 
It  was  my  mother  who  chose  a  military  career 
for  me ;  my  father  wanted  to  take  me  into  his 
office  and  make  a  lawyer  of  me.  Bless  her  dear 
face,  she  kept  my  sword  under  her  pillow  for  a 
week  before  I  came  out  here." 

In  a  few  minutes  they  were  in  the  actual 
suburbs  of  the  city,  and  a  cool  breeze  from  the 
salt  water  beyond  fanned  their  faces  as  they 
clattered  along  the  dusty  streets.  Fair  resi- 


EAGLE   BLOOD  221 

dences,  surrounded  by  wide  latticed  verandas, 
rose  in  the  midst  of  gardens  and  groves  ;  little 
rows  of  huts,  with  here  and  there  a  native  shop 
or  wine  shanty ;  stone  churches  and  monasteries, 
scarred  and  splintered  by  artillery  fire,  and  in- 
habited by  the  invading  American  soldiery ; 
dreary  reaches  of  ashes  and  blackened  ruins  — 
the  wreck  of  hundreds  of  homes  ;  picturesque 
Spanish  houses  pitted  with  bullet  holes  —  re- 
minders of  the  last  futile  stand  of  the  Spaniards ; 
abandoned  military  trenches  and  overturned  bar- 
ricades of  stone ;  processions  of  clumsy  carts 
drawn  by  sluggish  water-buffaloes ;  half-naked 
Chinese  porters  staggering  under  burdens  carried 
on  poles  across  their  perspiring  shoulders ;  crazy 
little  carriages  without  springs,  bumping  and 
swaying  behind  thin  ponies,  —  these  were  the 
sights  and  sounds  that  greeted  the  riders  as  they 
entered  the  seat  of  American  power  in  Asia.  ; 
Soldiers  in  khaki  were  still  swaggering  valiantly 
along  the  pavements  of  the  Escolta  —  richest  and 
busiest  of  Philippine  streets  —  but  the  native 
soldiers  and  their  bedizened  officers  had  vanished 
from  the  city. 


222  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"They've  all  gone  to  the  field,"  said  the  lieu- 
tenant. "  Why,  only  this  morning  I  saw  my  native 
cook  in  a  colonel's  uniform.  When  he  caught 
sight  of  me,  he  gave  a  military  salute,  threw  his 
chest  out,  and  strode  grandly  up  the  street,  with 
his  brand-new  sword  swinging  between  his  legs. 
I  nearly  fell  off  my  horse.  Damn  the  rascal !  he 
hadn't  even  the  manners  to  wash  the  dishes  before 
he  gave  me  the  slip." 

"  Such  are  the  stern  necessities  of  war,"  said 
Hugh. 

They  turned  into  a  side  street  and  encountered 
a  native  carrying  a  huge  serpent  coiled  around  the 
branch  of  a  tree.  Reining  in  their  ponies,  they 
watched  him  as  he  caressed  the  drugged  reptile  and 
entreated  the  passing  throngs  to  buy  it. 

"  Best  rat-catcher  in  the  world,"  said  Perry. 

"  I  know  it.  I've  seen  lots  of  them  for  sale. 
It's  a  funny  idea,  though,  to  keep  a  monster  like 
that  in  the  house  instead  of  a  cat.  By  George, 
I've  an  idea.  Here,  you  !  —  how  much  ?"  Hugh 
beckoned  to  the  serpent  vender. 

"Twanty-fi  peseta,"  answered  the  native,  hold- 
ing up  the  sleepy  python. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  223 

"  Twenty-five  pesetas  ?   Good  !  Will  he  bite  ?  " 

"  No  bite.  See  !  "  and  he  rubbed  his  grimy 
hand  over  the  serpent's  nose.  "  Muy  bien  ser- 
pientey  senor." 

With  the  assistance  of  the  native  Hugh  wrapped 
the  big  reptile  in  his  saddle  blanket,  and  swinging 
it  across  his  saddle,  moved  down  the  street  with 
his  astonished  companion. 

"  What  in  thunder  are  you  going  to  do  with 
it  ?  "  demanded  the  lieutenant. 

"  Can  you  keep  a  secret  ?  " 

"  Of  course." 

"  On  your  honor,  now  ?  " 

"  Certainly." 

"  No  matter  what  happens  ? " 

"  Torture  shall  not  wring  it  from  me." 

"  Well,  I  owe  Captain  Spildew,  the  censor,  a 
grudge,  and  I'm  going  to  give  the  old  churl  a  lively 
experience.  You  must  come  along,  Perry,  and 
help  me  out.  He's  taken  the  heart  out  of  every 
despatch  I've  written  for  the  Mail,  and  I  can't  get 
the  news  through  on  the  cable.  This  time  I'll 

D 

square  accounts.     You'll  come,  won't  you  ?  " 
"  I   might  get   myself  into  a   scrape,  Dorsay," 


224  EAGLE    BLOOD 

said  the  young  officer.  "  This  is  a  bad  time  for 
pranks.  Still,  Spildew  is  such  a  boorish  old 
scoundrel  that  I'd  like  to  see  the  thing  through. 
He  has  a  holy  horror  of  snakes." 

"  And  correspondents,"  added  Hugh.  "  It's 
an  extraordinary  thing  that  a  practical  nation 
should  allow  a  dunderhead  like  that  man  to  decide 
what  shall  be  known  in  America  about  the  occu- 
pation of  this  great  empire." 

"  Well,  count  me  in,"  said  the  officer.  "  Spil- 
dew cut  my  name  out  of  the  cabled  description 
of  the  charge  I  led  when  we  attacked  Manila." 

Passing  through  a  narrow  street  lined  with 
Chinese  shops,  the  young  men  dismounted  at 
the  Hotel  Oriente,  a  vast  square  structure, 
facing  an  open  space,  around  which  a  score  of 
weaponless  Spanish  officers  strolled  dejectedly 
under  the  scant  shade  of  half-grown  trees,  wait- 
ing for  the  tardy  funds  that  were  to  carry  them 
back  to  their  native  land.  Hugh  nodded  to  a 
noble-looking  Spaniard  in  a  captain's  uniform. 

"  How  are  you,  Blanco  ?  No  news  from 
home  ?  " 

"  None,"   said    the   officer.     "It   is    a   terrible 


EAGLE    BLOOD  225 

fate  for  a  soldier,  to  wait  and  wait  and  wait, 
after  our  flag  has  been  conquered  and  furled. 
Spain  has  forgotten  us.  We  are  ignored  by 
the  Americans  and  are  mocked  by  the  natives. 
And  this  after  four  hundred  years  of  sovereignty 
over  this  soil.  Ah,  what  have  you  here  ? "  — 
poking  the  muffled  serpent,  which  Hugh  had  laid 
on  the  pavement. 

"A  live  python." 

The  Spaniard  opened  the  blanket  and  exam- 
ined the  serpent. 

"  It  is  the  saud,  a  gentle  monster  that  lives 
on  rats.  When  he  grows  larger,  he  will  eat 
chickens  and  pigs.  We  used  to  have  one  in 
our  barracks  at  San  Fernando,  but  he  made  a 
meal  of  the  general's  pet  dog  and  was  killed 
for  it." 

"  See  here,  captain,  he's  too  drowsy.  I  want 
to  make  him  lively.  We're  going  to  have 
some  fun  with  a  friend  —  that  is,  a  sort  of  a 
friend." 

The  officer's  black  eyes  sparkled. 

"  A  cold  bath  will  make  him  wide  awake. 
My  servant  will  assist  you.  Aqui,  Manuel!" 


226  EAGLE    BLOOD 

And  he  carefully  instructed  the  surprised  peon 
in  the  art  of  arousing  a  stupefied  serpent.  "  Asi^ 
asil  avdnte,  Manuel!"  The  servant  rolled  his 
eyes,  hesitated,  and  then,  flinging  the  sleeping 
reptile  on  his  shoulder,  carried  it  into  the  hotel. 

"  And  now  to  write  my  despatch  announcing 
the  coming  battle  with  Aguinaldo's  forces,"  said 
Hugh.  "  If  I  get  it  through,  Perry,  my  repu- 
tation as  a  prophet  will  be  made.  It  all  de- 
pends on  Spildew.  Come  up  to  the  room  and 
get  ready." 

Hugh's  room  was  on  the  first  story  —  a  large 
chamber,  with  a  floor  of  polished  wood,  smell- 
ing strongly  of  kerosene  oil.  A  four-posted 
bed  with  a  woven  cane  bottom,  two  chairs,  a 
washstand,  and  a  small  table  were  the  furniture. 
On  the  walls  hung  native  spears  and  bolos,  a 
shield  of  buffalo  hide,  a  Spanish  flag,  a  picture 
of  the  Virgin,  riddled  with  bullet  holes,  and  the 
correspondent's  scant  wardrobe.  Two  saddles 
and  a  heap  of  riding-boots  were  piled  in  the 
corner. 

At  the  head  of  the  bed  a  photograph  was 
pinned  to  the  wall.  It  was  the  portrait  of  a 


EAGLE    BLOOD  227 

girl.  As  the  comrades  entered  the  room,  the 
young  lieutenant  stood  before  the  photograph 
and  examined  the  face  intently. 

"  Jee-rusalem  !     What  a  lovely  face,  Dorsay." 

"  Miss  Martin,"  said  Hugh,  seating  himself 
at  the  table  and  beginning  to  write  his  de- 
spatch. 

"  The  girl  who  comes  to-mOrrow  ?  " 

Hugh  nodded  his  head. 

"  No  wonder  you're  nervous,  you  scamp  ! " 
The  officer  stood  with  his  feet  wide  apart  and 
studied  the  portrait  with  a  critical  air.  "  An 
American,  that's  sure;  no  other  girl  in  the 
world  carries  her  head  like  that.  And  the 
eyes  —  how  sweet  and  true  they  look!  I  don't 
want  to  be  impertinent,  old  man,  but  is  she 
your  — "  and  he  slowly  winked  one  eye. 

"  Perry,"  said  Hugh,  rising  and  placing  his 
hand  on  the  lieutenant's  shoulder,  "  you're  the 
best  friend  I  have  out  here,  and  I'd  trust  you 
to  the  end  of  time.  We've  seen  some  rough 
times  together,  and  I've  learned  to  know  you 
as  a  straight,  manly  fellow.  Yes,  that's  the  girl 
of  my  heart,  the  only  woman  I  have  loved  or 


228  EAGLE    BLOOD 

can  love.  And  yet,  Perry,  I  can't  marry  her. 
I  dream  of  her  night  and  day.  Her  face  is 
always  before  me.  But  in  a  weak  moment  I  was 
trapped  into  doing  something —  There,  I've 
said  enough ;  I  can't  tell  you  my  secret.  It's 
enough  that  I've  forfeited  the  right  to  ask  any 
woman  to  be  my  wife." 

"Was  it  —  " 

"Nothing  disgraceful,  Perry  —  you'll  believe 
that?  No,  I'm  simply  tangled  up  by  fate  — 
tied  hand  and  foot." 

"  You're  a  queer  chap,  Dorsay.  I  don't  be- 
lieve I  ever  met  another  like  you.  Here  we've 
been  eight  months  together,  and  I've  told  you 
the  history  of  every  member  of  my  family  and 
confessed  my  soul  to  you  a  hundred  times ;  and 
now,  by  thunder  !  I  find  you  the  mysterious  hero 
of  a  romance  that  has  no  beginning  and  isn't 
going  to  have  any  ending.  Come,  now,  I've 
earned  the  right  to  talk  frankly  to  you,  and  there 
can  be  only  two  explanations  of  your  situation. 
Either  you  have  compromised  your  name"  — 
Hugh  shook  his  head  — "  or  you  have  a  wife 
already.  I've  hit  it.  I  can  see  it  in  your  eye. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  229 

By  God,  Dorsay !  I  didn't  think  you  were  that 
kind  of—" 

"  Hold  on ! "  exclaimed  Hugh,  with  a  look 
that  chilled  his  companion's  enthusiasm,  "  you're 
striking  deeper  than  you  intend.  If  another 
man  said  that,  I'd  knock  him  down." 

"  I'm  sorry  I  said  it,  Dorsay.  There  now," 
—  he  grasped  Hugh's  hand  fervently,  —  "I 
know  you're  a  decent  fellow." 

"  Somewhere  in  the  world,  Perry,  there's  a 
woman  who  wears  a  ring  I  put  on  her  finger. 
I  didn't  know  what  I  was  doing,  —  I  was  in  a 
mesmeric  trance,  —  but  I  pronounced  the  words 
that  can  bind  heaven  and  hell  together  on  earth. 
I'm  an  innocent  victim,  but  the  thing's  done. 
You're  the  first  man  I've  told  since  it  hap- 
pened." 

"Does  she  know?"  —  with  a  jerk  of  the 
thumb  toward  the  photograph. 

"  No,  thank  God  ! " 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you've  been 
hugging  this  thing  to  your  breast  all  this  time, 
when  a  lawyer  could  have  got  you  out  of  the 
scrape  in  a  jiffy  ?  " 


230  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  No  lawyer  can  bring  me  back  my  ring." 

"  Ring  be  hanged !  What  you  want  is  the 
decree  of  a  court." 

"  I've  no  proof." 

"  Neither  has  she." 

"  She  has  two  witnesses." 

"  Where  is  the  hussy  now  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  Perry.     Nobody  knows/" 

"Well,  I'll  be  thumped  if  this  isn't  the  strang- 
est case  I  ever  heard  of.  It's  a  regular  mediaeval 
plot  —  a  witch,  an  enchanted  ring,  a  spell-bound 
hero,  and  a  beautiful  maiden  just  out  of  his 
reach.  Why,  it  sounds  like  a  story  out  of  a 
yellow-covered  novel.  Wake  up,  my  boy, 
you're  dreaming." 

"  No,  it's  not  a  dream,  but  a  frightful  reality. 
And  now  you  can  understand  why  I  haven't 
always  been  as  jolly  as  the  others,  and  why  I've 
gone  off  by  myself  on  these  long  journeys  into 
the  interior,  just  to  think  and  think.  And  now 
she's  coming  to  Manila  —  Perry,  do  you  under- 
stand ?" 

A  vigorous  hand-shake  was  the  lieutenant's 
only  answer. 


EAGLE    BLOOD 


231 


"You'd  better  write  your  despatch,"  he  sug- 
gested. "Time's  flying,  and  I  must  get  back 
to  headquarters." 

"  Order  something  to  eat,"  said  Hugh,  sitting 
down  to  his  work  again. 

The  officer  left  the  room,  and,  as  the  door 
closed  behind  him,  Hugh  took  the  photograph 
from  the  wall,  kissed  it,  and  thrust  it  in  his 
pocket.  Before  he  had  finished  the  despatch 
Perry  returned. 

"  Fried  eggs  again  !  "  he  groaned.  "  It's  at 
least  the  thousandth  time  you've  had  that  dish 
since  you  came  here.  My  laundryman  has  taken 
a  commission  in  the  Philippine  army,  and  all 
my  shirts  have  disappeared  with  him.  No  ice, 
either.  The  fellow  with  the  key  to  the  re- 
frigerator put  on  a  lieutenant's  uniform  this 
morning,  and  has  gone  forth  to  seek  liberty  or 
death,  taking  my  new  trousers  with  him." 

They  went  into  the  great  cool  dining  room, 
where  a  barefooted  native,  in  a  ragged,  unwashed 
shirt,  served  the  despised  fried  eggs  on  cracked 
plates,  and  watched  them  with  sullen,  sly 
eyes. 


232  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  That  fellow  will  be  in  the  trenches  with 
a  rifle  before  morning,"  said  the  officer.  "  He'd 
like  to  cut  our  throats." 

After  their  meal  the  young  men  descended 
to  the  street,  where  they  found  a  ramshackle 
carriage,  with  the  Spanish  captain's  servant  sitting 
on  the  seat  with  the  driver,  the  awakened  ser- 
pent wriggling  in  a  canvas  bag  between  his  brown 
feet.  On  the  way  to  the  censor's  house  Hugh 
explained  his  plan  and  gave  the  servant  minute 
directions. 

When  they  reached  the  two-storied  white  villa 
in  which  Captain  Spildew  planned  his  devices 
to  keep  war  correspondents  from  evading  the 
rules  of  censorship,  that  redoubtable  individual 
appeared  at  an  upper  window  and  summoned 
them  to  ascend  to  his  presence.  They  were 
followed  by  the  noiseless  native,  who  carried 
the  bound  python  and  skulked  stealthily  in  the 
shadow  of  the  upper  corridor  while  they  entered 
the  censor's  sitting  room.  The  oppressor  of 
militant  journalism  was  of  harmless  aspect,  short, 
stocky,  paunchy,  and  inclined  to  baldness,  a 
precise,  emotionless  man,  who  regarded  his  vis- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  233 

itors  coldly  through  his  spectacles,  and  received 
Hugh's  despatch  in  a  grudging  manner. 

The  comrades  seated  themselves  and  watched 
the  door  beyond  which  the  soft-footed  native 
was  releasing  the  serpent,  while  Captain  Spildew 
read  the  despatch  and  smacked  his  lips  un- 
pleasantly. 

"  This  reference  to  Colonel  Danton  has  got 
to  come  out,"  he  growled,  as  he  made  a  mark 
with  his  fat  blue  pencil  against  the  offending 
words.  "  No  heroizing  ;  it's  forbidden.  No, 
you  needn't  explain  —  it  can't  pass.  The  mo- 
ment an  officer  gets  his  name  in  the  newspapers 
he  thinks  he's  entitled  to  run  the  whole  army." 

The  head  of  the  python  appeared  in  the 
doorway,  and  the  glistering  folds  of  mottled 
green  and  brown  came  undulating  after  it.  The 
comrades  nudged  each  other  as  the  reptile  drew 
its  pulsing  length  slowly  over  the  sill. 

"  This  is  simply  idiotic,"  muttered  the  captain. 
"  I  won't  allow  a  word  of  it  to  go  on  the  cable. 
Why,  it's  a  prediction  of  war,  a  flat  contradiction 
of  the  official  reports." 

Silently  the  serpent  moved  along  the  smooth 


234  EAGLE    BLOOD 

white  matting,  coiling  its  body  and  raising  its 
head  with  a  steady,  oscillating  movement,  the 
beady  eyes  glittering  and  the  red  tongue  playing 
restlessly. 

Spildew  crumpled  the  paper  in  his  hand  con- 
temptuously. At  that  moment  he  caught  sight 
of  the  python.  His  jaw  dropped  and  his  face 
whitened.  His  look  of  horror  brought  the 
young  men  to  their  feet.  The  reptile  drew 
its  tail  around  a  chair  and  overturned  it.  Hugh 
drew  his  revolver  and  advanced  toward  the 
monster. 

"  Don't  move,  captain,"  he  said  in  a  tragic 
whisper.  "  If  you  attract  his  attention  he'll 
strike  —  it's  sure  death." 

The  censor  shuddered  and  closed  his  eyes. 
Hugh  aimed  at  the  serpent's  head  and  fired. 
With  an  upward  leap,  the  python  twisted  itself 
into  a  writhing  knot,  its  bloody  head  beating  the 
floor  furiously.  Again  Hugh  fired.  The  ser- 
pent struggled  over  the  stained  matting,  twisting 
and  untwisting  its  terrible  form,  striking  wildly 
with  its  shattered  head  and  waving  its  tail.  It 
wound  itself  about  a  sofa  and  crushed  the  wood 


EAGLE    BLOOD  235 

in  its  agonized  embrace.  Again  and  again  Hugh's 
revolver  sent  bullets  into  the  blood-dripping, 
curling  folds.  Then,  seizing  a  bolo  which  hung 
on  the  wall,  he  cut  the  python  in  two  with  a 
single  stroke  of  the  razor-edged  weapon. 

There  was  no  tremor  in  his  muscles,  no  fear  in 
his  steady  blue  eyes.  The  lion  blood  of  his 
ancestors  ran  red  in  his  veins,  and  like  them,  he 
could  play  in  the  presence  of  death.  The  weak- 
ness wrought  by  centuries  of  overbreeding  and 
luxury  had  vanished.  He  laid  the  reddened 
blade  on  the  censor's  desk  with  a  smile. 

"  That  was  a  close  shave,"   he  said  quietly. 

The  captain  sat  in  his  chair  like  a  man  para- 
lyzed. His  eyes  bulged  from  their  sockets.  His 
native  servants  crowded  in  the  doorway,  cowering 
and  chattering.  Perry  stood  in  the  middle  of 
the  room,  revolver  in  hand,  his  eyes  shining  with 
excited  admiration.  No  one  spoke  for  a  moment. 
Then  the  censor  raised  himself  to  his  feet  with 
an  effort. 

"  How  did  it  get  here  ?  "  he  roared  at  his  ser- 

D 

vants,  pointing  to  the  ghastly  wreck.  "  I'll  have 
you  beaten  black  and  blue  for  this,  you  dogs  !  " 


236  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Then  turning  to  Hugh  he  put  forth  a  grateful 
hand.  "  I  can't  express  my  feelings,  Mr.  Dor- 
say,"  he  stammered.  "  I  believe  that  I  owe  my 
life  to  you." 

The  tall  young  correspondent  struggled  to 
keep  a  straight  face  His  sense  of  humor  strove 
hard  with  a  perception  of  the  advantage  his  prac- 
tical joke  had  given  him  over  the  bully.  The 
great  snake  had  been  as  harmless  to  man  as  a 
tame  kitten,  and  he  felt  an  inward  twinge  in  the 
presence  of  undeserved  gratitude. 

"  It's  nothing  at  all,  captain,"  he  said  with  an 
involuntary  blush.  "  You'd  do  as  much  for  me. 
It  was  an  ugly  customer,  though.  Ugh  ! "  and 
he  spurned  the  still  quaking  monster  with  his 
foot. 

"  This  despatch,"  said  Spildew,  spreading  out 
the  crumpled  paper  with  trembling  fingers  —  "is 
it  an  important  matter  to  you  to  get  it  through  ?  " 

"  Very." 

"  I'll  take  chances  on  it." 

He  ringed  each  page  with  a  blue  line,  signed 
his  initials,  and  handed  the  despatch  to  Hugh. 

"  You've   just   got    time    to    make    the    cable 


EAGLE    BLOOD  237 

office,"  he  said.  "  Better  hurry.  It's  nearing 
five  o'clock." 

"  This  is  very  handsome  of  you,  sir,"  said 
Hugh,  gravely,  as  he  put  the  paper  in  his  pocket 
and  returned  his  revolver  to  its  holster. 

"  Oh,  you'll  find  me  pretty  generous  when  you 
take  the  right  side  of  me,"  said  the  captain, 
swelling  out  his  breast  with  conscious  virtue. 

The  lieutenant  winked  over  the  censor's 
shoulder. 

"Yes,  sir,"  continued  Spildew,  squaring  him- 
self and  wagging  his  head.  "  I'm  the  most 
misunderstood  man  in  the  army.  There  isn't  a 
better-natured  or  more  obliging  man  in  Manila  — 
that  is,  when  you  understand  me." 

"  I  think  I  understand  you  now,"  said  Hugh, 
with  a  meaning  smile.  "  Come,  Perry,  we  must 
make  a  dash  for  the  cable." 

When  they  reached  the  street,  the  lieutenant 
threw  back  his  head  and  uttered  a  roar  of  laugh- 
ter. He  doubled  up  as  if  in  pain,  slapped  his 
thigh,  straightened  out  and  guffawed  until  the 

O     '  D  O 

tears  ran  down  his  cheeks. 

"Whoof— ha!   ha!   ha!"  he  wheezed,  hold- 


238  EAGLE    BLOOD 

ing  his  sides  and  shaking  his  head.  "It  was 
tre-mendous !  I  wouldn't  have  missed  it  for 
a  captain's  commission.  Ha !  ha !  ha !  St. 
George  and  the  dragon  wasn't  in  it.  By  thunder ! 
Dorsay,  for  an  Englishman  you're  not  so 
slow." 

They  stepped  into  the  squeaky  carriage  and 
went  lurching  over  the  rough  street  toward  the 
cable  station,  a  fresh  rush  of  air  from  the  spar- 
kling bay  blowing  against  them. 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  Hugh,  "  for  a  moment 
I  was  afraid  that  the  snake  would  do  some  harm. 
It  was  a  brutal  joke  ;  but  I've  had  my  revenge 
at  last.  A  year  ago  I  couldn't  have  done  it 
to  save  my  life." 

"  I've  noticed  the  change  in  you,  Dorsay. 
You're  like  a  new  man.  There  isn't  a  steadier 
hand  or  braver  heart  in  the  Philippines." 

"Don't  chaff  me,  Perry." 

"  It's  atavism,  my  boy.  Somewhere,  away 
back  in  your  family,  there  has  been  a  stout  old 
English  bulldog,  and  it  only  needed  a  touch  of 
this  rough  life  to  bring  his  spirit  to  life  again. 
I'll  bet  you  had  soldier  forefathers." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  239 

"  Some  day  I  may  be  able  to  tell  you  the 
story  of  my  house  —  it's  a  queer  tale." 

"  What !  more  mystery  ?  —  more  romance  ?  " 

"  You  shall  judge  for  yourself  when  you  hear 
it." 

The  despatch  was  handed  in  to  the  manager 
of  the  cable  station  five  minutes  before  the  hour 
for  closing.  Then  the  comrades  separated,  the 
young  officer  pleading  that  duty  compelled  him 
to  return  to  headquarters. 

Hugh  went  back  to  the  Hotel  Oriente  in  a 
state  of  serene  elation.  He  felt  confident  that 
an  immediate  conflict  between  the  American 
army  and  the  native  troops  was  inevitable,  and 
the  news  he  had  cabled  to  the  Mail  would  put 
a  proud  feather  in  his  professional  cap. 

Throwing  himself  on  his  bed,  he  took  Helen's 
photograph  from  his  pocket  and  looked  at  the 
fair  young  face.  His  mind  ran  back  to  the  day 
he  first  saw  her  moving  like  a  summer  sprite 
in  the  garden  before  her  father's  cottage.  He 
recalled  her  every  look  and  gesture.  The  sen- 
timent that  grew  up  in  those  days  had  ripened 
into  a  love,  deep  and  strong.  But  how  could 


240  EAGLE    BLOOD 

he  meet  her  now  ?  No  moral  law  could  hold 
him  to  the  fraudulent  marriage;  he  was  sure 
of  that.  Miss  Grush  was  a  fugitive  from  justice 
and  would  probably  never  cross  his  path  again. 
Yet  his  ring  was  on  her  finger,  his  name  was 
signed  to  the  marriage  register.  He  turned  the 
problem  over  and  over  in  his  mind  as  he  had 
done  so  many  times  before  in  his  lonely  wander- 
ings through  the  back  country  of  Luzon.  He 
might  return  to  London  and  resume  his  rank 
and  title,  trusting  to  good  luck  and  the 
help  of  his  friends  to  make  his  way.  But  that 
would  be  going  back  to  conditions  that  now 
seemed  to  him  false  and  ridiculous.  It  would 
be  a  life  of  shams  and  shiftiness.  The  elixir  of 
American  democracy  was  in  his  blood,  quicken- 
ing and  strengthening  his  ambition  to  win  a 
place  in  the  world  by  his  own  efforts.  To  give 
up  his  new  life  would  be  to  confess  himself  a 
failure,  to  surrender  the  ideals  of  his  manhood ; 
and  she  —  he  looked  longingly  into  the  pure, 
honest  eyes  —  she  would  despise  him.  No,  he 
would  be  no  penniless,  fortune-hunting  noble- 
man, no  social  wastrel.  He  might  fail  in  his 


EAGLE    BLOOD  241 

desire  to  restore  the  fortunes  of  his  impoverished 
life,  but  at  least  he  would  build  up  character 
and  would  live  worthy  of  her. 

The  tropical  twilight  slowly  died  out  of  the 
purple  sky,  and  the  shadows  deepened.  The 
clatter  of  feet  in  the  corridors  and  the  tolling 
of  bells  warned  him  that  the  dinner  hour  was 
passing.  Still  he  lay  in  the  darkness  with  his 
thoughts.  The  next  sun  would  bring  her  to 
him  —  and  then  ? 


CHAPTER   X 

A  DISTANT  crackle  of  infantry  firing  roused 
Hugh  from  his  musings.  He  sat  up  on  the  edge 
of  his  bed  and  listened.  The  sound  died  out  and 
there  was  a  moment  of  silence  followed  by  an- 
other crackling  of  far-away  rifles,  which  deepened 
into  volleying  noises  spreading  around  the  city. 
A  cannon  boomed ;  then  another  and  another. 
The  evening  air  was  filled  with  a  clamor  that 
slowly  swelled  into  a  sullen  roar.  The  war  had 
begun,  and  the  Eastern  and  Western  republics 
were  grappled  in  an  embrace  of  death. 

Hurriedly  changing  his  linen  riding-dress  for  a 
suit  of  khaki,  filling  his  canteen  and  loading  his 
revolver,  Hugh  left  his  room,  only  to  find  the 
corridors  of  the  hotel  a  scene  of  the  wildest  con- 
fusion. Officers  were  rushing  hither  and  thither, 
calling  in  vain  for  the  native  servants,  who  had 
suddenly  disappeared.  The  place  resounded  with 
oaths  and  the  trampling  of  hurried  feet.  Dashing 

242 


EAGLE    BLOOD  243 

down  the  stairway  to  the  street,  he  saw  officers 
flinging  themselves  on  their  horses  and  galloping 
furiously  away.  A  platoon  of  soldiers  crossed  the 
square  in  front  of  the  hotel  at  double  quick,  with 
an  ambulance  behind  them.  Mounted  couriers 
swept  along  the  streets  in  every  direction. 

He  called  to  an  artillery  officer  who  had  just 
leaped  into  his  saddle. 

"  Hell's  loose  !  They're  righting  all  along  the 
line,"  cried  the  officer,  hoarsely,  as  he  spurred  his 
horse  and  vanished  in  the  darkness. 

Now  the  guns  of  the  warships  in  the  bay  began 
to  flash  and  thunder.  White  glares  from  the 
naval  search-lights  moved  across  the  sky.  The 
rattling  of  infantry  grew  louder  and  fiercer. 

The  American  forces  lay  in  a  great  crescent 
around  the  landward  side  of  Manila,  facing  the 
uncounted  soldiery  of  Aguinaldo,  which  was 
apparently  attacking  the  city  at  all  points. 

Hugh  ran  to  the  stable  in  the  rear  of  the  hotel, 

D  • 

and  finding  no  native  to  assist  him,  saddled  his 
pony  and  rode  at  a  dash  to  the  palace  of  the 
military  governor  of  the  Philippines.  That 
august  person  had  been  driven  from  his  stately 


244  EAGLE    BLOOD 

halls  by  a  body  of  native  riflemen  stationed  in  a 
swamp  on  the  south  side  of  the  Pasig  River  and 
was  holding  court  on  the  sidewalk  in  the  midst 
of  his  staff.  The  American  line  had  been  at- 
tacked from  one  end  to  the  other,  and  every 

courier  arriving  from  the  front  reported  that  he 

H 

had  been  shot  at  by  natives  from  windows  within 
the  city. 

"  We  have  eight  or  nine  thousand  men  in  our 
trenches  and  the  enemy  has  perhaps  twenty  thou- 
sand," said  the  general,  in  answer  to  Hugh's 
questions. 

Away  across  the  roof-tops,  through  an  opening 
in  the  trees,  Hugh  saw  an  American  flag  shining 
out  of  the  darkness  in  the  brilliant  ray  of  a  search- 
light, its  colors  rippling  and  tossing  like  a  beauti- 
ful spirit  of  the  air.  His  heart  beat  quickly. 

"  If  you're  short  of  men,  I'd  like  to  offer  my 
services,"  he  said. 

The  general  stared  at  him  in  surprise. 

"  Any  company  commander  can  enroll  you." 

"  I  hadn't  quite  thought  of  enlisting." 

"You're  an  Englishman?" 

"  I  am,  sir." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  245 

"  Never  saw  it  fail,  major,"  muttered  the  gen- 
eral, turning  to  one  of  his  staff.  "  A  Britisher 
can't  smell  gunpowder  without  wanting  to  fight." 
Then,  smiling  at  the  tall  young  volunteer,  he 
shook  his  white  head.  "  I've  no  use  for  civilians 
just  now,"  he  said.  "  This  is  a  time  for  soldiers. 
When  you  get  ready  to  put  on  our  uniform,  Mr. 
Dorsay,  step  up  to  the  nearest  company  head- 
quarters and  enlist.  I'll  give  you  plenty  to  do 
then.  Meanwhile,  you'd  better  keep  to  shelter. 
Both  armies  are  standing  to  their  trenches,  and  I 
don't  see  how  there  can  be  any  advance  until 
daybreak." 

Hugh  rode  away  with  his  head  in  a  whirl. 
To  see  the  closing  in  of  the  two  forces,  he  must 
work  his  way  to  the  front,  and  yet  the  man  within 
him  shrank  from  the  part  of  a  non-combatant. 
How  could  he,  the  descendant  of  a  race  of 
warriors,  bear  to  stand  among  men  in  battle  as 
a  mere  spectator  ?  What  man  of  the  blood  of 
Godfrey  de  Bouillon  had  ever  looked  upon  the 
great  game  of  life  and  death  without  arms  in  his 
hands  ?  He  heard  the  voices  of  the  dead 
knights  calling  to  him,  and  he  saw  their  stern 


246  EAGLE    BLOOD 

faces  looking  forth  from  the  walls  of  Battlecragie 
Castle. 

Again  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  American 
flag  high  in  the  night,  with  the  glory  of  the 
search-light  streaming  through  its  folds  and  sur- 
rounding it  like  a  nimbus. 

A  perspiring  company  of  soldiers  went  march- 
ing swiftly  toward  the  thunderous  outskirts  of  the 
city,  singing  in  the  dust  they  made.  A  bullet 
whistled  close  to  his  head.  The  sound  of  ar- 
tillery crashed  louder,  and  the  shrieking  of  the 
shells,  hurled  by  the  warships  over  the  city,  added 
to  the  appalling  clamor  that  rose  on  every  side. 
Rushing,  noisy  life  swarmed  in  the  narrow 
streets ;  galloping  messengers ;  rocking,  creak- 
ing carriages ;  troops  of  men  running  hither 
and  thither ;  frightened  merchants  hurrying  from 
shop  to  shop  in  search  of  news  or  safety ;  white- 
clad  natives  skulking  timorously  in  the  shadows, 
with  fearful  glances  at  the  armed  patrols ;  and  in 
the  middle  of  the  noisest,  busiest  scene,  a  re- 
bellious water-buffalo  lying  down  in  harness  and 
stubbornly  resisting  the  goad  of  its  driver. 

Hugh's  pony  picked  its  way  nimbly  along  the 


EAGLE    BLOOD 


247 


street,  while  the  rider  watched  the  radiant  flag 
soaring  against  the  sky  —  emblem  of  civilization 
and  humanity. 

There  was  a  time  when  that  banner  represented 
to  him  only  the  crushing  force  which  had  ruined 
him  —  the  slowly  spreading  despotism  of  organ- 
ized money,  vulgar,  boastful,  and  heartless.  And 
now,  as  he  rode  through  the  tumultuous  streets  of 
Manila  and  listened  to  the  iron  voice  of  the  great 
republic  speaking  to  its  new-found  subjects,  he 
remembered  that  rainy  day  in  London  when  he 
learned  that  the  American  trust  system  had  swept 
away  his  only  means  of  support,  compelling  him 
to  abandon  rank,  title,  name,  and  country.  There 
was  no  bitterness  in  his  soul  now.  He  could  look 
at  the  stars  and  stripes  with  a  fond  impulse  of 
loyalty.  He  had  learned  the  lesson  of  human 
equality  in  its  shadow.  Nor  could  he  forget  that 
he  was  bound  to  that  shimmering  patch  of  color, 
flying  so  gallantly  above  the  rifle-ringed  city,  by 
another  tie  —  it  was  Helen's  flag;  and  within  a 
few  hours  he  would  see  her  in  all  her  youth  and 
beauty  and  innocence. 

He  made  his  way  toward  the  northern  side  of 


248  EAGLE    BLOOD 

the  city,  intending  to  ride  out  to  the  front  on  the 
road  leading  to  La  Loma  church,  where  the  native 
army  would  be  likely  to  offer  fierce  resistance. 
Only  a  few  hours  before,  he  had  seen  Aguinaldo's 
troops  concentrating  there ;  and  it  was  somewhere 
in  this  general  direction  that  the  firing  had  begun, 
although  no  one  seemed  to  know  just  how  or 
why. 

As  he  reached  this  highway,  he  met  the  division 
general  and  his  staff  galloping  hotly  forward. 
Hugh  spurred  his  pony  and  swept  on  with  the 
officers  in  a  rush  of  hoofs  and  a  cloud  of  dust. 

"  Hello,  Dorsay  ! " 

"Just  in  time!" 

"Thought  we'd  see  you!" 

He  waved  his  hand  at  each  greeting  shouted  to 
him  from  the  swift  troop.  Pressing  his  animal 
for  speed,  he  reached  the  side  of  the  commander. 

"  Our  wires  are  cut  and  they're  trying  to  assas- 
sinate our  couriers  in  the  streets,"  explained  the 
general.  "  I'm  moving  out  to  get  in  touch  with 
the  firing  line.  You'll  see  some  stiff  fighting  in 
the  morning,  Mr.  Dorsay." 

It  was   all   so   strong   and   manly   and   blood- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  249 

stirring,  that  splendid  rush  over  the  dry  road  into 
the  dark  gulf  of  war  ripping  and  roaring  in  the 
night  beyond  them,  —  effete  peace  and  caution 
left  behind  and  nothing  but  the  mystery  and 
romance  of  glorious  conflict  in  front.  Hugh  rose 
in  his  stirrups  and  shouted  for  the  very  joy  of  it. 
He  felt  a  new  power  coming  into  his  body  and 
sniffed  the  air  with  a  strange  sense  of  pleasure. 
The  thunderous  noises,  the  lurid  flashings,  the 
faint  smell  of  burning  gunpowder,  thrilled  him. 
Bullets  came  "  ting  "-ing  through  the  darkness 
from  hidden  marksmen.  The  shells  from  the  fleet 
hurtled  and  screamed  overhead.  On,  on,  on  they 
swept,  riders  and  horses  jostling  each  other,  past 
houses  and  fields,  under  fragrant  trees,  leaping 
over  heaped  stones,  scattering  groups  of  terror- 
stricken  natives  to  right  and  left,  sweeping  in 
confused  curves  around  wagons  in  the  road, 
breathing  the  honeyed  scents  of  gardens,  —  clat- 
tering, clashing  straight  toward  the  battle  line. 

Then  a  halt  so  sudden  that  their  ponies  were 
thrown  back  upon  their  haunches.  A  rough  cart 
filled  with  American  soldiers  accompanied  by  an 
officer  was  before  them.  It  was  a  squad  of 


250  EAGLE   BLOOD 

• 

telegraph  linemen  belonging  to  the  Signal  Ser- 
vice. 

"  Cut  the  wires  and  connect  me  with  the  front," 
cried  the  general. 

Two  men,  spurred  with  steel,  leaped  from  the 
cart,  climbed  a  telegraph  pole,  and  severed  the 
wires. 

"  We'll  open  headquarters  here,"  said  the  com- 
mander, dismounting  and  taking  possession  of  a 
house  porch. 

A  telegraph  instrument  was  carried  from  the 
cart,  set  on  a  chair,  and  connected  with  the  wires. 
In  a  moment  an  army  operator  was  clicking  a 
message  to  the  front.  The  general,  lit  a  cigar  and 
waited  for  the  answer.  Presently  the  instrument 
began  to  speak. 

"  The  enemy  are  sticking  to  their  trenches  and 
firing  steadily,"  said  the  general,  as  he  read  the 
despatch.  "  That's  their  Spanish  training.  Not 
much  for  you  to  write  about  yet,  is  there,  Mr. 
Dorsay  ?  " 

Hugh  was  leaning  on  the  back  of  the  officer's 
chair,  his  blue  eyes  radiant  with  excitement  and 
his  nerves  tingling. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  251 

"I'd  like  to  ride  on  and  see  for  myself,"  he 
said. 

"Well  spoken,  sir,"  exclaimed  the  commander. 
"  There's  the  road,  and  the  whole  island  of 
Luzon  lies  before  you.  We  shall  stay  here 
to-night  and  move  forward  as  soon  as  there's 
light  enough.  If  you  prefer  to  feel  your  way 
to  our  trenches  in  the  dark,  you're  welcome ; 
but  look  out  for  native  sharp-shooters  along  the 
road ;  several  men  have  been  killed  to-night 
between  the  city  and  the  firing  line." 

After  a  word  of  farewell,  Hugh  regained  his 
saddle  and  started  at  a  brisk  trot  for  the  trenches. 
He  had  not  gone  more  than  a  thousand  yards 
when  the  confidential  hum  of  a  bullet  warned 
him  that  he  had  undertaken  a  perilous  journey. 
Again  and  again  the  concealed  marksman  sent 
messengers  of  death  singing  through  the  gloom. 
The  tough  little  pony  began  to  snort  and  shiver. 
Hugh  patted  the  animal's  neck  and  found  his 
hand  covered  with  blood.  The  wounded  pony 
broke  into  a  gallop,  shaking  his  head  and  utter- 
ing sounds  of  pain. 

A  loud  cry  for  help  caused  Hugh  to  rein  in 


252  EAGLE    BLOOD 

his  steed.  He  could  see  several  white  figures 
struggling  in  the  road  just  ahead,  and  his  keen 
eyes  caught  the  flash  of  a  blade.  Another 
appeal  for  help  in  an  American  voice  came  from 
the  blurred  group.  Drawing  his  revolver,  he 
rode  straight  on,  to  find  a  young  officer  fighting 
desperately  in  the  clutch  of  natives.  With  a 
ringing  cry  he  charged  the  group,  firing  as  he 
advanced.  A  piercing  scream  and  the  lurching 
of  a  white  figure  to  the  ground  followed  the 
first  shot.  Slipping  from  his  pony,  he  fired 
again  and  hurled  himself  among  the  natives, 
felling  one  with  a  blow  and  sending  a  bullet 
into  another.  The  others  fled  into  the  bushes 
at  the  side  of  the  road,  and  the  officer  fell 
heavily  into  the  arms  of  his  rescuer. 

"  I'm  wounded,"  he  groaned,  "  but  I  don't 
know  how  badly.  Here,  in  the  back,  —  it  was 
a  bolo  thrust ;  and  my  head  hurts  —  please 
let  me  lie  down.  They've  taken  my  horse, — 
my  God !  just  before  my  regiment  goes  into 
action,  too." 

Hugh  carried  the  wounded  man  to  the  road- 
side, and  lighting  a  small  bull's-eye  lantern  which 


EAGLE    BLOOD 


253 


hung  on  his  saddle,  he  removed  the  officer's 
jacket  and  stanched  a  deep  wound  in  the  back 
with  a  strip  torn  from  the  sleeve  of  his  shirt. 
There  was  an  ugly  gash  on  the  scalp,  which  he 
carefully  bound. 

The  soldier  was  a  singularly  handsome  man. 
The  broad  brow,  regular  features,  big  gray  eyes, 
and  pale,  smooth  hair  reminded  Hugh  of  some 
one  he  had  seen  before. 

"  Thank  you,"  he  said  feebly,  as  Hugh  washed 
the  blood  from  his  face.  "  They  stretched  a  rope 
across  the  road  and  my  horse  was  thrown.  I 
was  on  my  way  to  headquarters.  You  came  just 
in  time  to  save  me.  I'm  Captain  John  Reming- 
ton." 

"I'm  Hugh  Dorsay." 

The  wounded  man  stared  and  tried  to  raise 
himself  from  the  ground. 

"  Dorsay  ?  Dorsay  ?  "  he  gasped.  "  Not  the 
young  Englishman  my  sister  wrote  to  me  about 
—  not  the  newspaper  man  ?  " 

"  What ! "  exclaimed  Hugh,  seizing  the  sol- 
dier's hand,  "  is  this  Jack  Remington  ?  Thank 
God  forever  for  this  night !  Yes,  I'm  the  poor 


254  EAGLE    BLOOD 

t 

devil  of  a  stranger  to  whom  your  family  opened 
their  door  when  I  needed  friends." 

"You'll  find  a  despatch  for  the  division  com- 
mander in  my  pocket  there.  It  must  be  deliv- 
ered at  once.  Leave  me  here  and  take  the 
message  back.  You  can  send  assistance  to  me." 

"  Damn  the  despatch  !  "  answered  Hugh.  "  I'll 
see  to  your  safety  first.  How  near  are  we  to 
the  firing  line  ?  " 

"  About  a  quarter  of  a  mile ;  but  never  mind 
me  now.  Get  the  despatch  in;  it's  terribly  im- 
portant. The  colonel  wouldn't  trust  an  ordinary 
messenger." 

"  Do  you  think  you  could  sit  on  my  pony  if  I 
held  you  ? " 

"  The  despatch,  the  despatch  !  "  moaned  the 
officer. 

"  I'm  not  going  to  move  a  foot  without  you," 
said  Hugh,  firmly. 

"  I'm  in  your  hands —  I'm  helpless  —  but  my 
duty  —  " 

"  Your  duty  is  to  put  your  arms  around  my 
neck  and  hold  on  tight."  And  Hugh  gathered 
the  soldier  up  in  a  strong  embrace.  "  There !  steady 


EAGLE   BLOOD  255 

now  —  so!"  And  staggering  into  the  road,  he 
lifted  his  groaning  burden  to  the  back  of  the  pony. 
Holding  the  swaying  figure  in  the  saddle,  he  drove 
the  animal  forward  and  walked  beside  it. 

The  heat  and  the  effort  to  keep  the  swooning 
man  from  falling  made  him  faint,  but  he  struggled 
on,  while  the  volleying  of  the  armies  shook  the 
air.  Across  the  open  spaces  to  the  right  he  could 
see  flashing  lines  of  rifle  fire,  and  once  he  saw  the 
belching  flame  of  a  cannon.  Hoarse  cries  of  com- 
mand were  borne  to  his  ears  from  the  distance. 
Somewhere  ahead  of  him  were  marching  men. 
He  could  hear  their  voices  and  the  thud-thud  of 
their  feet.  A  riderless  horse  plunged  by  him. 
Then  a  quick,  harsh  challenge  brought  him  to  a 
standstill.  He  had  reached  the  American  line. 

A  few  hurried  words  explained  the  situation. 
The  wounded  officer  was  carried  to  a  small  house 
in  the  garden,  where  a  surgeon  took  charge  of 
him  ;  the  undelivered  despatch  was  sent  on  to 
headquarters  ;  and  after  being  assured  that  Captain 
Remington's  injuries  were  not  serious,  Hugh 
mounted  his  pony  and  moved  out  to  the  firing 
line. 


256  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Tying  his  horse  to  a  tree,  he  walked  along  the 
trenches  and  saw  a  continuous  row  of  men  in 
khaki  lying  against  the  low  earthen  breastworks 
and  firing  into  the  darkness.  Through  the  drift- 
ing smoke  —  for  the  volunteer  troops  were  using 
black  powder  —  the  officers  strode  up  and  down, 
peering  out  at  the  enemy's  ground  and  giving 
their  orders  in  quick,  sharp  sentences.  As  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach,  the  blazing  front  of  the  army 
stretched  on  either  side.  There  was  nothing  to 
be  seen  of  Aguinaldo's  troops  but  the  incessant 
flashing  of  their  rifles.  Now  and  then  a  rocket 
trailing  in  the  sky  or  a  flickering  bonfire  indi- 
cated that  the  native  commanders  were  signalling 
orders. 

A  squad  of  ambulance  men  carried  a  blood- 
stained body  on  a  stretcher  into  a  tent.  Hugh 
followed  to  the  narrow  entrance  and  saw  a  line  of 
ghastly  forms  on  the  ground  within.  It  was  a 
scene  of  unspeakable  horror.  In  the  wavering, 
yellow  lantern  light  two  surgeons  were  busy  with 
splints  and  bandages.  An  expressionless,  stolid 
Chinaman  stood  by,  holding  a  basin  of  water  and 
a  dripping  sponge.  Two  silent,  rigid  shapes  lay 


EAGLE    BLOOD  257 

in  the  corner  of  the  tent  under  a  covering  of 
rough  matting. 

As  his  eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  gusty 
light,  he  was  surprised  to  see  a  woman  in  black 
kneeling  beside  a  wounded  soldier,  holding  a  tin 
cup  to  his  lips.  He  could  hear  her  soft  voice 
indistinctly  as  she  reached  her  hand  out  and 
stroked  the  sick  man's  brow  with  a  curious  sway- 
ing of  the  thin  shoulders  that  made  him  think  of 
the  night  he  was  hypnotized  and  trapped  into 
marriage  with  Miss  Grush.  How  different  this 
noble  nurse  from  that  evil  adventuress,  and  how 
separate  their  fates  !  —  one  tenderly  ministering  to 
the  dying  in  the  presence  of  God  and  His  angels, 
and  the  other  cowering  away  from  the  pursuit  of 
human  justice.  He  found  himself  pitying  the 
woman  who  had  so  deeply  wronged  him.  In 
such  a  place  there  was  no  room  in  his  heart  for 
hate.  The  nurse  seemed  to  be  praying.  Her 
hands  were  clasped  and  her  head  raised,  although 
her  face  was  turned  away  so  that  Hugh  could  not 
see  it.  The  sufferer  smiled,  and  made  the  sign  of 
the  cross  with  his  hand. 

"  'Tain't  no  place  fer  a  woman,  sure,"  said  a 


258  EAGLE    BLOOD 

broad-shouldered  private  in  Hugh's  ear,  "but 
Miss  Agnes  goes  everywhere." 

"  I've  heard  of  her,  but  I  never  saw  her  before." 

"She's  just  got  over  smallpox  —  caught  it 
tendin'  some  of  the  boys  in  Cavite.  What  d'ye 
think  of  that  fer  a  woman  ?  Why,  there  ain't  a 
durn  regiment  in  the  island  that  don't  know  Miss 
Agnes.  She'd  give  her  life  fer  the  meanest  cuss 
in  the  hull  outfit,  that's  what." 

How  weirdly  reminiscent  that  murmuring  tone 
was,  and  how  familiar  the  sidewise  droop  of  the 
head  and  the  sinuous  turn  of  the  meagre  figure  ! 
The  kneeling  nurse  leaned  her  face  close  to  the 
stricken  soldier,  and  Hugh  had  a  momentary 
glimpse  of  her  features  in  the  shadow.  His 
heart  leaped,  and  a  chill  spread  through  his  limbs. 
He  looked  eagerly  at  her  hands  —  no,  there  was 
no  ring  there.  But  it  was  the  face,  the  form,  the 
voice,  of  Miss  Grush. 

He  clutched  the  flap  of  the  tent  door  and 
watched  her  as  she  smoothed  the  dank  hair  back 
from  the  rough  face.  Her  every  movement 
struck  fear  into  him.  Was  this  tre  sorceress  who 
had  wrung  from  him  an  oath  of  marriage  ?  Could 


EAGLE    BLOOD  259 

that  be  the  hand  that  struck  down  David 
Irkins  ? 

He  forgot  the  thunder  of  the  armies,  the  row 
of  ashen,  upturned  faces,  the  voices  of  preparation 
for  the  coming  battle,  and  saw  only  a  lean  woman 
on  her  knees,  with  a  crucifix  raised  in  her  hand. 
His  first  impulse  was  to  confront  her,  to  denounce 
her,  to  demand  the  ring  of  Tancred  which  he  had 
placed  on  her  finger.  Pshaw  !  It  was  impossible ; 
there  must  be  a  mistake.  That  saintly,  tender 
nurse  —  what  could  she  have  in  common  with  a 
desperate  criminal?  He  would  speak  to  her  — 
not  now,  but  when  she  rose. 

"  Why,  Dorsay  !  " 

Lieutenant  Perry  slapped  him  on  the  back. 

"  You're  right  in  the  thick  of  it,  my  boy,  and 
just  in  time  to  see  the  niggers  drive  in  our  out- 
posts. See  them  coming  ?  " 

Hugh  wheeled  around  and  saw  a  band  of  dusty 
pickets  leaping  in  over  the  earthworks,  while  a 
storm  of  bullets  made  the  dust  fly  along  the  line. 
A  cheer  burst  from  the  trenches,  and  volley  after 
volley  flamed  out  over  the  rough  ridges  against 
which  the  firing  line  lay. 


260  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Down  on  your  face,  for  your  life  !  " 

He  threw  himself  flat  on  the  ground.  Then 
the  whole  American  line  rose  in  obedience  to 
command  and  swept  over  the  bulwark  to  drive 
the  charging  natives  back.  Hugh  climbed  up  on 
the  breastworks  and  saw  the  brown  line  go  out 
into  the  darkness,  shouting  and  firing  as  it  ad- 
vanced, only  to  return,  after  the  enemy  had  fled, 
to  take  its  place  in  the  trenches  again. 

Then  he  went  back  to  the  tent  and  looked  in. 
The  nurse  had  vanished.  No  one  could  tell  him 
where  she  had  gone.  Miss  Agnes  was  a  volun- 
teer nurse  who  came  and  went  on  her  own  respon- 
sibility. Where  did  she  live  ?  Sometimes  in  one 
place  and  sometimes  in  another.  She  had  been 
in  the  smallpox  hospital  for  a  long  time  and  had 
but  recently  recovered.  At  one  time  she  lived  in 
the  Dominican  convent,  but  when  the  military 
governor  declined  to  accept  the  nuns  as  army 
nurses,  she  had  abandoned  the  shelter  of  their 
cloisters. 

"  Some  say  she's  American  and  others  say  she's 
English,"  said  a  soldier,  "  but  she  never  talks 
about  herself.  One  of  the  chaplains  got  a  little 


EAGLE    BLOOD  261 

gay  to-night  about  our  boys  bein'  soldiers  of  God, 
or  somethin'  like  that,  and  she  told  him  we  were 
makin'  war  on  the  only  Christian  people  in  Asia. 
Jee !  you  ought  to  have  seen  him  shut  up." 

After  visiting  the  improvised  hospital  where  he 
had  left  Captain  Remington,  and  learning  that 
the  wounded  officer  had  been  sent  to  the  main 
hospital  of  Manila  in  an  ambulance,  Hugh 
accepted  Lieutenant  Perry's  invitation  to  share 
his  quarters,  and  in  a  few  minutes  he  was  stretched 
on  a  blanket  in  a  little  tent,  listening  to  the  never 
ending  sound  of  the  rifles  in  the  trenches. 

He  closed  his  eyes,  but  haunting  thoughts 
of  the  woman  in  black  tortured  him  and  drove 
away  sleep.  The  suspicion  that  Miss  Crush 
had  followed  him  to  the  Philippines  for  some 
sinister  purpose  filled  him  with  a  nameless  dread. 
He  racked  his  tired  brain  to  find  some  explana- 
tion of  the  mystery.  Then  the  face  of  Helen 
Martin  came  before  him,  calm,  sweet,  and  trust- 
ful. He  might  keep  her  in  ignorance  of  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Grush,  but  could  he  dare  to 
live  falsely  in  the  presence  of  that  pure  nature  ? 
And  if  he  told  her  all,  would  he  not  break  the 


262  EAGLE   BLOOD 

tender  charm  of  their  companionship  and  darken 
all  the  future  ? 

He  tried  to  reason  with  himself.  It  was 
a  fraudulent  marriage ;  he  had  not  spoken  the 
fateful  words  or  signed  his  name  as  a  free  moral 
agent ;  it  was  mere  superstition  and  Quixotism 
to  allow  an  involuntary  contract  to  stand  between 
him  and  his  heart.  The  passion  that  had  slept 
for  months  awoke,  and  his  veins  ran  lightning. 
Love  ?  Yes,  it  was  love  so  deep  and  sure  that 
life  without  it  would  be  intolerable.  The  ship 
was  even  now,  perhaps,  outside  of  Manila  Bay, 
waiting  for  the  sunrise,  and  Helen  was  straining 
her  eyes  across  the  water  to  catch  a  sight  of  the 
harbor  lights.  Did  she  give  a  thought  to  him  ? 
Ah,  he  was  sure  that  she  had  not  forgotten 
those  days  and  nights  when  the  spirit  of  an 
unspoken  tenderness  brooded  between  them. 
What  would  she  say  if  he  told  her  now  that 
somewhere  there  was  a  woman  who  called  her- 
self—  by  whatever  shadowy  title  —  his  wife  ? 

Through  all  these  months  of  hardship  and 
danger  he  had  developed  a  larger  capacity  to 
feel  as  well  as  to  endure.  The  boyish  vanity 


EAGLE    BLOOD  263 

of  birth  and  rank  engendered  by  the  narrow 
limits  of  his  life  in  England  had  changed  into 
pride  of  manhood,  and  with  it  had  grown  a  virile 
love  for  the  brown-eyed  little  American  patriot 
that  wove  itself  into  every  thought  of  the  future. 
There  were  times  when  he  believed  that  he  had 
conquered  his  affection  for  Helen  —  days  when 
he  dreamed  of  going  back  to  England  —  but 
as  he  lay  on  his  rough  bed  and  thought  of  to- 
morrow, he  knew  that  he  had  been  deceiving 
himself,  and  that  his  life  and  happiness  were 
inseparably  bound  up  in  her  smile  or  frown. 
If  he  were  only  free  to  seek  his  fate  in  her  "  yes* 
or  "  no  "  !  But  how  could  a  man  of  honor  turn 
coward  to  his  past?  His  ring  —  the  traditional 
emblem  of  his  line  —  was  on  Miss  Crush's 
finger.  He  had  put  it  there  —  fairly  or  foully 
—  and  until  he  recovered  it  and  legally  annulled 
the  union  it  symbolized,  he  was  bound  to  silence. 
There  were  instincts  of  mediaeval  ancestry  that 
refused  to  die  in  him,  heritages  of  superstitious 
chivalry  compounded  with  his  flesh  and  blood, 
as  inseparable  as  the  color  of  his  eyes. 

In   time    he    fell   asleep.      When    he    awoke, 


264  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Perry  was  shaking  him  roughly,  bugles  were 
blowing,  the  ground  shook  to  the  tread  of  march- 
ing feet,  and  the  first  gray  light  of  dawn  was 
straggling  in  at  the  open  end  of  the  tent.  The 
young  lieutenant  was  in  boisterous  spirits,  and 
capered  about  wildly. 

"  Get  up  and  see  the  dandiest  fight  of  your 
life,"  he  cried.  "  Dash  some  of  this  water  over 
your  head  while  I  get  you  a  cup  of  coffee  and 
some  hardtack.  The  whole  line  is  being  formed 
for  an  advance.  It's  the  prettiest  sight  you 
ever  saw."  And  while  Hugh  splashed  the  cold 
water  in  his  face,  his  companion  broke  into 
song  :  — 

"  Her  golden  hair  with  ringlets  fair, 
Her  eyes  like  diamonds  shining, 
Her  slender  waist,  with  carriage  chaste, 
Might  leave  the  swan  repining. 
Ye  gods  above,  O,  hear  my  prayer, 
To  my  beauteous  fair  to  bind  me, 
And  send  me  safely  back  again 
To  the  girl  I  left  behind  me." 

Looking  out  of  the  tent,  Hugh  saw  the  faint, 
saffron  glow  of  the  tropical  daybreak  stealing  into 


EAGLE    BLOOD  265 

the  haggard  sky.  There  was  a  silvery  mist  on 
the  rice  fields,  and  the  intense  green  of  the  trees 
and  grass  sparkled  with  dew.  While  he  looked, 
a  rosy  flush  spread  upward  from  the  dawning 
sun,  with  slowly  changing  tints  of  amethyst  and 
gold,  cloudless  and  serene.  An  iridescent  dove 
fluttered  down  from  the  cool  depths  of  a  mango 
tree  and  preened  its  soft  plumage  in  the  shade  of  a 
bush  of  flaming  scarlet.  A  sunbird  flashed  its 
lovely  colors  in  the  growing  light. 

The  shrill,  clear  voice  of  the  bugles  thrilled 
the  morning  air,  the  sound  of  the  tramping  bat- 
talions increased ;  through  the  lofty  screen  that 
drooped  about  the  tent  could  be  seen  the  moving 
brown  ranks  and  the  gleam  of  arms  ;  and  beyond, 
the  heaving  streams  of  slouched  hats  and  slanted 
rifle  barrels,  the  tawny  earthworks  and  the  empty 
trenches.  Save  for  a  random  shot  here  and  there, 
the  sounds  of  conflict  had  ceased.  Both  armies 
were  making  ready  for  the  death  grapple. 

The  colors  were  borne  into  sight,  and  as  he 
saw  the  trembling  folds  of  the  American  ensign 
unfurled  for  battle,  Hugh's  soul  rose  in  salute. 
These  were  the  dyes  of  the  British  flag  in  another 


266  EAGLE    BLOOD 

design,  uttering  a  newer  and  broader  message  to 
the  world.  The  course  of  civilization  had  run 
westward  around  the  earth  and  this  was  the  van- 
guard of  mankind  reappearing  in  the  gray  old 
East,  still  armed  and  still  shedding  blood  in  the 
name  of  human  liberty.  A  prayer  for  victory 
rose  involuntarily  to  his  lips.  Her  flag  !  —  had  it 
not  at  last  become  his  flag,  too,  unutterably  beau- 
tiful and  inspiring  ? 

His  revery  was  broken  by  the  lieutenant,  who 
appeared  with  a  can  of  smoking  coffee  and  a  pan 
of  army  rations. 

"Die  on  a  full  stomach,"  he  roared.  "In 
peace  there's  nothing  so  becomes  a  man  as 
modest  stillness  and  humility  (that's  Shake- 
speare) ;  but  when  the  blast  of  war  blows  in  our 
ears,  then  imitate  the  action  of  the  tiger,  gobble 
the  bacon,  the  hardtack  and  coffee,  unleash  the 
appetite  —  that's  not  Shakespeare,  but  it's  good 
horse  sense.  By  George,  Dorsay  !  "  —  he  paused 
midway  in  a  draught  of  coffee  —  "  I've  heard  the 
story  of  how  you  saved  Captain  Remington  last 
night.  It's  the  talk  of  the  whole  brigade  —  and 
you  never  said  a  word  to  me  about  it.  I'd  give 


EAGLE    BLOOD  267 

ten  years  of  my  life  to  do  such  a  thing  and  have 
the  modesty  to  keep  my  mouth  shut  afterward. 

"  '  Sound  the  clarion,  fill  the  fife, 

To  all  the  sensual  world  proclaim, 
One  crowded  hour  of  glorious  life 
Is  worth  an  age  without  a  name.' 

I  tell  you,  I  believe  half  the  fellows  would 
resign  their  commissions  but  for  the  hope  of  get- 
ting their  names  in  the  newspapers  some  day  — 
soak  your  hardtack  in  the  coffee,  my  boy  —  and 
here  you  are  a  real  hero  —  " 

"  Perry,  I  ought  to  be  in  the  city  to-day,"  said 
Hugh.  "  You  know  Miss  Martin's  steamer  is 
due,  and  if  the  enemy  should  break  through  our 
lines  and  enter  Manila,  they  would  burn  and  kill 
without  mercy.  Think  of  a  young  girl  with  no 
one  to  stand  by  her  but  an  old  man,  who  —  " 

"  « Oh,  love,  love,  love  ! 

Love  is  like  a  dizziness  ; 
It  winna  let  a  poor  body 
Gang  about  his  biziness.' 

sang  the  officer,  wagging  his  head  and  patting  the 
ground  with  his  feet. 

"Can't  you  see,"  he  added,  "that  the  best  way 


268  EAGLE    BLOOD 

to  keep  the  niggers  from  getting  at  your  friends 
is  to  stay  out  at  the  front  and  help  us  to  chase 
them  off  the  face  of  the  earth  ?  " 

"You're  right "  —  Hugh  lifted  his  head  proudly. 
"  I  don't  know  how  I  could  have  been  such  an 
ass  as  to  forget  myself.  Perry,  I'm  going  to 
enlist." 

"  Wha-a-at  ?  Enlist  ?  Come  to  me  arms,  me 
sojer  boy." 

"  Hang  it !  Perry,  don't  make  a  fool  of  me  — 
and  you've  spilt  every  drop  of  coffee.  Yes,  I 
mean  it.  I  shall  offer  myself  at  once." 

The  blood  of  his  crusading  forefathers  spoke  in 
the  set  face  and  steady  blue  eyes. 

"  I'm  not  the  first  of  my  family  to  be  a  soldier," 
he  said  gravely ;  "  and  if  I  prove  to  be  the  last,  it 
will  be  a  fitting  end  to  the  race." 

He  spoke  with  a  depth  of  feeling  that  checked 
his  companion's  frolicsome  mood. 

"That  flag"  —  stretching  his  hand  toward  the 
trenches  —  "  has  been  calling  me  for  many  days. 
I  shall  make  my  answer  now." 

They  left  the  tent  together,  and  after  Hugh 
had  been  duly  examined  by  a  surgeon  and  pro- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  269 

nounced  sound,  he  took  the  soldier's  oath  and 
signed  the  muster-roll  of  Captain  Remington's 
company.  Ten  minutes  afterward  he  was  pro- 
moted to  be  a  sergeant,  and  later  he  was  detached 
from  his  regiment  and  assigned  to  duty  among 
the  scouts  at  the  headquarters  of  the  division 
under  direct  orders  from  the  general. 

And  when  at  last  the  battle  opened,  and  the 
widespread  lines,  gathered  from  the  farms  and 
workshops  and  offices  of  the  western  world, 
lurched  out  against  the  insurgent  sons  of  Asia, 
all  through  the  red-blazing  track  of  slaughter 
Hugh  rode  near  the  flag  in  a  tempest  of  death, 
with  as  stout  a  heart  as  ever  beat  in  the  mailed 
breasts  of  his  knightly  ancestors.  It  was  a  day 
never  to  be  forgotten  in  history,  a  day  stained 
with  the  blood  of  two  peoples  calling  upon  God 
to  witness  the  justice  of  their  cause  ;  freeman  slay- 
ing freeman,  as  when  brothers  strike  each  other 
in  the  dark.  Over  the  fields  and  the  roads 
strewn  with  the  dead  and  dying,  the  American 
troops  pressed  their  fierce  way,  carrying  barri- 
cades, intrenchments,  fortified  houses,  and  fair 
groves  filled  with  fighting  men.  The  gray  battle 


270  EAGLE    BLOOD 

mist  drifted  slowly  in  the  swooning  air  across  a 
vast  spectacle  of  carnage,  and  the  smoke  of  burn- 
ing dwellings  blackened  the  summer  sky.  The 
natives  fought  with  desperate  valor,  and  from 
the  pale  blue  swarms  of  riflemen  there  issued 
maddened  bands  of  bolo  men,  who  fought  with 
their  rude  blades  against  bristling  ranks  of  bayo- 
nets, hacking  and  stabbing  until  they  fell  under 
the  feet  of  the  resistless  American  soldiery. 
Women  and  children  joined  in  the  dreadful 
conflict ;  flights  of  arrows  and  poisoned  darts 
marked  the  presence  of  half-naked  savages  sum- 
moned from  the  distant  mountains  by  native 
leaders.  Gradually  Aguinaldo's  forces  fell  back, 
fiercely  contesting  every  foot  of  ground,  rallying 
behind  groups  of  huts  or  around  churches,  firing 
from  the  shelter  of  gravestones  in  the  cemeteries, 
but  slowly  retreating  toward  the  green  thickets  of 
the  outlying  country. 

Once,  when  a  color-bearer  was  struck  down, 
Hugh  leaped  from  his  saddle,  and  lifting  the 
fallen  stars  and  stripes  from  the  dust,  remounted 
and  carried  the  flag  forward  amidst  the  cheers  of 
his  comrades.  It  gave  him  a  thrill  of  mingled 


"LEAPED   FROM  HIS   SADDLE,  AND  LIFTING    THE 
FALLEN  STARS  AND   STRIPES  .  .  ." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  271 

/• 

pain  and  pleasure,  for  although  he  bore  the 
colors  to  which  he  had  sworn  loyalty  —  and  his 
pulse  leaped  at  the  thought  that  Helen  would 
know  of  his  deed  —  yet  the  Englishman  was 
strong  within  him.  Lion  blood  and  eagle  blood 
struggled  for  mastery  in  his  veins.  He  was  a 
soldier  of  the  great  republic,  but  still  a  subject 
of  the  British  crown  and  heir  to  an  ancient  earl- 
dom. And  while  he  moved  onward  through  the 
smoking  conflict,  with  the  brilliant  ensign  trailing 
over  him,  traditions  of  the  past  and  sentiments  of 
the  present  griped  him  inwardly. 

All  through  the  burning  day  Hugh  carried  the 
American  colors,  delivering  them  to  their  regi- 
ment when  the  field  was  won  and  the  tired 
soldiers  had  manned  a  new  line  of  trenches. 

"  And  now,  sir,"  said  the  general,  after  compli- 
menting the  new-made  sergeant  on  his  gallantry, 
"  you  have  my  permission  to  go  to  the  city  and 
serve  your  newspaper.  There  will  be  no  more 
fighting  at  present.  The  enemy  has  had  a  taste 
of  American  steel,  and  we  shall  give  them  a  few 
days  to  think  it  over  as  a  steady  diet.  You  may 
remain  in  Manila  for  a  day  or  two 'if  you  desire 


272  EAGLE    BLOOD 

it,  sergeant.  Under  the  circumstances  it  would 
be  hardly  fair  to  prevent  you  from  doing  your 
work  as  a  correspondent.  "  Besides,"  —  and  the 
general  prodded  Hugh  gently  in  the  ribs,  —  "I 
hear  that  you  have  friends  coming  from  Hong 
Kong  to-day.  Oh,  well,"  —  as  the  tall  youth  raised 
one  hand  in  protest  —  "I  was  that  way  myself 
once.  Damm  it !  I  wouldn't  give  a  rap  for  a 
fellow  that  didn't  —  " 

"  Thank  you,  I  shall  go  at  once,"  said  Hugh, 
interrupting  him.  "  There  may  be  disorders  in 
the  city  and  I  might  be  useful  to  my  friends." 

"  Until  further  orders,  you  may  remain  with 
them.  You've  earned  a  rest,  and  besides,  as  I 
was  saying,  when  a  man's  sweetheart  comes  eight 
thousand  miles  —  " 

Hugh  saluted  and  fled,  with  the  laughter  of 
the  general  in  his  ears. 


CHAPTER   XI 

AFTER  cabling  his  story  of  the  battle  to  New 
York,  Hugh  went  to  the  wharf  of  the  little 
Custom  House  on  the  Pasig  River — which  di- 
vides modern  Manila  from  the  moated  walls  and 
battlements  of  the  close-built  city  reared  by  the 
Spanish  conquerors  —  and  waited  for  the  arrival 
of  Mr.  Martin  and  his  daughter.  The  Hong 
Kong  steamer  had  entered  the  bay,  but  under  the 
compulsion  of  naval  regulations  had  anchored 
far  out ;  and  the  passengers  were  to  be  brought 
ashore  in  a  steam  launch. 

Although  the  distant,  piled-up  clouds  still 
faintly  shone  with  mottled  reflections  of  the  van- 
ished sun  and  dyed  the  gloomy  waste  of  the  bay 
with  shimmering  streaks  of  copper  and  sulphur- 
ous green,  the  canal-like  river  looked  ghostly  in 
the  growing  dusk,  with  its  crowded  ships,  roofed 
hulks  and  barges,  shallops,  junks,  scows,  and 
puffing  launches,  swarming  with  deck-life  and 

273 


274  EAGLE    BLOOD 

twinkling  with  lights.  Grimy  English  colliers 
ground  their  sides  against  the  painted  hulls  of 
Chinese  smugglers  ;  trim  American  merchantmen 
swung  in  the  stream  beside  fantastic  native  fish- 
ing boats ;  Spanish  freighters  creaked  against 
Malay  prows  and  marvellously  contrived  rafts 
of  bamboo. 

Traders,  adventurers,  and  ruffians  from  almost 
every  corner  of  the  earth  were  to  be  found  in  the 
babbling  multitude  that  peopled  the  narrow 
stream,  —  Japanese,  Chinamen,  Hindoos,  Tartars, 
South  Americans,  Australians,  Hawaiians,  Rus- 
sians, Germans,  Frenchmen,  Spaniards,  Austrians, 
Italians,  Englishmen,  Americans,  and  men  of  all 
the  tribes  of  the  Philippine  Islands,  noisy  and 
picturesquely  squalid. 

Beyond  the  floating  inferno  that  choked  the 
mouth  of  the  river  and  the  neglected  monument 
of  Magellan  on  the  opposite  bank,  rose  the  huge 
bulk  of  the  Walled  City,  with  hoary  stone  bul- 
warks and  ancient  fortifications ;  and  above  them, 
dimly  seen,  the  triumphant  stars  and  stripes. 
As  the  shadows  deepened,  the  scene  grew  more 
mysterious  in  the  yellow  light  of  the  myriad  Ian- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  275 

terns  swinging  among  the  rocking  acres  of  craft, 
and  the  half-clad  figures  leaping  from  deck  to 
deck  looked  like  evil  spirits. 

There  were  smart  officers  to  be  seen  on  the 
river  front  and  brawny  sailors  from  the  American 
fleet  and  the  foreign  warships,  —  all  eager  for  news 
of  the  battle.  Armed  boats  loaded  with  ammuni- 
tion and  other  provisions  of  war  moved  to  and 
from  the  wharves.  Now  and  then  a  messenger 
from  the  admiral  to  the  military  governor  leaped 
ashore  and  hurried  away. 

It  was  all  so  strange  and  homeless  that  Hugh's 
heart  leaped  when  he  saw  the  familiar  slim  figure 
of  a  girl  in  white,  standing  beside  a  sturdy,  gray- 
haired  man  in  the  bow  of  a  launch  that  swept 
through  the  labyrinth  of  shipping  toward  the 
Custom  House  wharf.  There  was  no  mistaking 
that  airy  form,  high-held  head,  and  jaunty  hat 
with  brim  upcurling  from  the  breeze  made  by  the 
motion  of  the  boat.  Hugh  waved  his  hand  and 
shouted  a  welcome,  but  the  noises  of  the  river 
drowned  his  voice,  and  he  was  unrecognizable  in 
the  crowd  that  waited  for  the  landing  of  the 
passengers. 


276  EAGLE    BLOOD 

As  Helen  stepped  lightly  to  the  wharf,  her 
youthful  beauty  and  grace  attracted  every  eye, 
and  a  dozen  hands  were  stretched  out  to  assist 
her.  Even  the  tired  Chinese  coolies,  straining  at 
the  mooring  ropes,  turned  to  watch  the  lovely 
stranger.  Her  brown  eyes  searched  the  crowd 
anxiously,  and  then,  as  she  saw  Hugh,  her  face 
lit  up  with  a  smile  that  brought  the  color  to  his 
tanned  face,  and  she  reached  out  her  hands  to 
him  with  the  simple  honesty  of  a  child. 

"  Hugh  !  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you !  Here, 
father,  don't  you  see  Mr.  Dorsay  ?  " 

He  took  her  hands  and  held  them  for  a 
moment,  but  utterance  failed  him. 

"  Bless  my  soul !  "  cried  Mr.  Martin,  as  he 
swung  the  young  man  around  and  examined  him 
critically,  "  what  a  magnificent  fellow  you've  got 
to  be !  You're  as  brown  and  tough  as  bronze." 

"  We've  been  in  a  state  of  wild  excitement," 
exclaimed  Helen,  "  and  we've  heard  all  about 
how  you  rescued  Captain  Remington  from  an 
ambush  and  how  you  raised  the  fallen  colors 
and  carried  them  all  through  the  fight,  and  we're 
so  proud  —  " 


EAGLE    BLOOD  277 

"  I  did  nothing  more  than  my  duty." 

"  Daddy  was  for  landing  and  going  to  the 
front  to  find  you  the  moment  we  anchored  ;  but 
although  they  told  us  all  about  the  fight,  they 
wouldn't  let  us  ashore  until  the  order  came  from 
the  Captain  of  the  Port.  Even  then,  they  in- 
sisted that  women  were  expected  to  remain 
aboard  until  all  danger  was  over.  Why,  we 
would  have  swum  ashore,  if  the  launch  hadn't 
taken  us.  Daddy  felt  sure  that  you  would  be 
waiting  for  us." 

"  That's  right ;  put  it  on  me,"  said  the  old 
man,  with  a  shrewd  twinkle  in  his  eyes. 

She  lowered  her  eyes  demurely,  and  a  faint  flush 
of  wild  rose  answered  the  veteran's  sly  challenge. 

"  I've  been  thinking  of  you  all  day,"  said 
Hugh,  bluntly. 

"  What !  even  when  you  saved  the  flag  ?  " 

"  Yes,  then  more  than  ever."  And,  realizing 
that  his  words  embarrassed  her,  he  changed  the 
subject  abruptly.  "  We  must  get  your  baggage 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  customs  officers,"  he  said, 
"  and  then  we'll  go  to  the  worst  hotel  in  the 
whole  world,  where  I've  secured  quarters  for  you." 


278  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  O  dear  !  Must  we  really  go  to  a  hotel  ? 
I  thought  we'd  live  in  a  tent  and  be  waked 
up  by  bugles  every  morning.  It  will  be  just 
like  living  in  New  York." 

"  No,  I  can  guarantee  a  distinct  change  from 
anything  you've  ever  experienced  before.  After 
a  week  in  this  hotel,  you'll  understand  why  a 
man  is  willing  to  face  death  cheerfully.  Seri- 
ously, though,"  —  Hugh's  voice  showed  his 
anxiety,  — "  Manila  is  still  a  place  of  danger  ; 
and  I'm  sorry  you've  come  at  a  time  like  this. 
We've  driven  back  the  native  army  on  all  sides, 
but  there  may  be  an  uprising  in  the  city  any 
hour,  and  with  nine-tenths  of  our  troops  out  in 
the  trenches,  God  knows  what  horrors  we  may 
have  to  encounter  in  the  streets  and  houses. 
Centuries  of  oppression  have  made  the  natives 
as  treacherous  and  cruel  as  wild  beasts." 

"  I  hope  your  fears  may  be  unfounded,"  said 
Mr.  Martin,  solemnly;  "but  my  daughter  and 
I  have  come  eight  thousand  miles  to  see  where 
our  flag  has  been  raised,  and,  please  God,  we 
won't  turn  back  now." 

"There's     the    walled    city,    anyhow,"     said 


EAGLE    BLOOD  279 

Hugh.  "If  things  grow  desperate,  I  can  get 
you  shelter  in  the  fort." 

After  a  parley  with  the  revenue  officers,  the 
trunks  were  slung  on  huge  bamboo  poles  and 
carried  off  to  the  hotel  by  stalwart,  bare- legged 
Chinamen,  much  to  Helen's  astonishment.  The 
little  party  followed  them  in  a  native  carriage. 

"  Thunderation  !  There's  a  man  walking  in  a 
public  street  with  his  shirt  outside  of  his  trousers," 
cried  Mr.  Martin  indignantly,  as  he  caught  sight 
of  a  jaunty  native.  "He  ought  to  be  arrested." 

"  That's  the  honest  native  style,"  said  Hugh. 
"  When  a  Filipino  tucks  his  shirt  in,  he'll  bear 
watching." 

"It's  a  fool  idea." 

"  On  the  contrary,  the  native  custom  is  a 
sensible  one  in  such  a  climate  as  this,  and  when  a 
man  changes  from  the  habits  of  his  people  to 
please  foreigners,  he's  apt  to  be  a  hypocrite.  We 
consider  the  untrammelled  shirt-hem  as  an  emblem 
of  moral  integrity  out  here." 

"  Really  !  "  exclaimed  Helen.  "  And  are  we  to 
see  the  embattled  patriots  advancing  upon  our 
army,  flaunting  their —  Oh,  it's  unthinkable  !  " 


280  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  No,  the  enemy's  as  unromantically  belted  and 
uniformed  as  our  own  soldiers." 

"  It's  hard  to  believe  there's  a  war  here,"  said 
the  old  man.  "  The  streets  are  quiet,  the  wagons 
move  along  slowly,  and  the  soldiers  seem  to  be  in 
no  hurry." 

"  The  wagons  you  see  are  ambulances  rilled 
with  wounded  men ;  those  soldiers  just  ahead  of 
us  are  a  part  of  the  city  patrol  (we  have  no 
police,  you  know) ;  that  big  cart  drawn  by  water- 
buffaloes  is  a  sort  of  hearse,  carrying  our  boys  to 
their  graves." 

Mr.  Martin  uncovered  his  head. 

"  Poor  fellows  !  "  he  muttered.  "  The  whole 
archipelago  isn't  worth  one  of  them." 

"  And  you,"  said  Helen,  in  a  low  voice,  as  she 
turned  to  the  young  soldier,  "  you  have  been  in 
the  midst  of  this  scene  of  suffering  and  death." 

"  I  did  nothing  more  than  my  duty." 

"  Ah,  no.  These  men  were  soldiers  obeying 
the  call  of  their  country,  while  you  — " 

"  I  am  a  soldier,  too." 

"  Hugh  !  " 

"  It's  true." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  281 

"  But  you're  not  in  uniform." 

"  I  enlisted  this  morning  and  haven't  had  time 
to  bother  about  my  clothes.  I'm  a  sergeant,  serv- 
ing with  the  scouts  at  division  headquarters,  and 
to-morrow  I'll  wear  my  buttons  and  chevrons." 

She  uttered  a  little  feminine  cry  of  delight,  and 
her  eyes  sparkled. 

"  Then  —  then  —  oh,  you're  an  American  citi- 
zen at  last,  Hugh  ?  " 

"  No,  I'm  still  an  Englishman." 

"  But  you've  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  ?  " 

"  The  soldier's  oath,  not  the  citizen's.  There's 
lion  blood  in  me  yet,  although  I'm  bound  to  fight 
for  the  eagle." 

Silence  fell  between  them  for  a  space.  The 
rickety  vehicle  rattled  and  swayed  over  the 
uneven  streets,  and  presently  it  was  brought  to  a 
standstill  by  a  long  procession  of  bare-footed 
natives,  guarded  by  a  few  American  soldiers. 

"  Prisoners  of  war,"  said  Hugh. 

The  native  driver  in  front  of  them  watched  the 
melancholy  train  —  here  and  there  a  blood-stained 
coat  or  bandage  —  with  cold  eyes.  His  dark 
visage  was  expressionless,  and  he  sat  as  still  as 


282  EAGLE    BLOOD 

a  wooden  image  while  his  captive  countrymen 
shuffled  on  to  the  walled  city. 

"  Our  friend,"  said  Mr.  Martin,  jerking  his 
thumb  toward  the  driver,  "  doesn't  seem  to  be 
excited  by  the  situation." 

"  It's  hard  to  read  these  people,"  answered 
Hugh.  "  They  seldom  show  emotion.  I  saw 
their  soldiers  die  to-day  without  a  sign  of  feeling, 
tearless  and  silent.  Look  at  that  chap's  calm, 
indifferent  face.  The  chances  are  that  his  heart 
is  black  with  hate  and  that  he'd  like  nothing 
better  than  to  cut  our  throats.  Do  you  smell  the 
odor  of  the  tree  above  us  ?  " 

"  What  a  lovely  perfume,"  exclaimed  Helen. 
"  It's  like  honeysuckle." 

"  That  tree  has  no  scent  in  the  daytime.  It 
gives  out  fragrance  only  in  the  dark.  So  it  is 
with  the  people  of  the  Philippines :  they  reveal 
their  hearts  when  they  are  hidden  from  other 
races.  To  understand  their  natures,  we  must  be- 
come like  them  or  make  them  like  ourselves ; 
there's  no  middle  course." 

When  they  arrived  at  the  hotel,  there  was  an 
hour  devoted  to  settling  down.  Helen  was  in 


EAGLE    BLOOD  283 

a  flutter  of  excitement.  Everything  she  saw 
aroused  her  interest,  —  the  immensity  of  the 
rooms,  the  wonderful  polished  floors,  the  woven 
cane  beds  without  mattresses,  the  bunches  of 
sweet-smelling  ylang-ylang,  the  barefooted  native 
waiters,  the  melancholy  groups  of  Spanish  officers, 
the  field-stained  American  officers,  the  restless  and 
anxious  war-correspondents  ;  and  out  in  the  plaza 
under  her  windows,  the  armed  patrols  and  the 
clatter  of  the  mounted  couriers. 

After  dinner  Mr.  Martin  smoked  his  cigar  in 
the  cool,  wide  corridor,  while  Helen  and  Hugh 
strolled  up  and  down  before  him.  The  old 
journalist's  kindly  face  wore  an  expression  of 
deep  satisfaction  and  pride,  as  he  watched  the 
young  pair  under  the  yellow  radiance  of  the 
lamps.  He  marked  the  tender  smile  with  which 
she  watched  the  soldier's  face  when  he  spoke  to 
her,  and  the  fond,  proud  look  in  Hugh's  eyes  as 
he  bent  his  head  to  hear  her  voice. 

"  Oh,  I'm  so,  so  glad  you've  made  such  a 
record,  Hugh,"  she  said.  "  Every  one  was  talk- 
ing about  your  brilliant  despatches,  when  we  left 
New  York.  And  now  that  you're*  an  American 


284  EAGLE    BLOOD 

soldier,  somehow  I  feel  that  you're  nearer 
to  us." 

"You  always  were  such  a  little  patriot.  I  half 
believe  that  if  I'd  been  knocked  out  to-day  —  " 

"  No,  no !  don't  even  joke  about  that,"  she 
said  with  an  effort  to  hide  the  tremor,  in  her 
tone.  "  If  you  only  knew  how  we  suffered  when 
we  heard  that  you  were  in  the  thick  of  the  fight, 
and  how  we  prayed  for  your  safety  — " 

"Do  you  know,  Helen,"  —  he  hesitated  and 
looked  lovingly  into  the  fair,  upturned  face, — 
"perhaps  I  oughtn't  to  say  it — when  I  dis- 
mounted in  the  field  and  picked  up  the  colors 
from  the  ground,  the  boys  cheered,  but  I  saw 
only  your  face  and  heard  only  your  voice  saying, 
1  It  is  my  flag.  Do  this  for  me.'  There,  I'm 
sorry  I  said  it,  but,  hang  it  all !  I  just  couldn't 
keep  it  in." 

Once  more  the  pink  of  the  wild  rose  flushed 
her  face. 

"  You  mustn't  talk  so,"  she  said  with  a  look 
of  happiness  that  belied  her  words.  "  The  eagle 
doesn't  catch  flies,  and  a  soldier  shouldn't,  stoop 
to  flatter  a  silly  girl." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  285 

"  Nor  does  the  eagle  breed  doves,"  he  an- 
swered with  a  smile,  "and  I  felt  your  spirit  in 
the  very  air  I  breathed.  Now  I  have  offended 
you." 

She  half  averted  her  face,  and  they  moved 
without  words  for  a  few  moments. 

"  I  had  hoped  to  find  you  inspired  by  the 
sentiment  for  which  so  many  brave  men  died 
to-day,"  she  began. 

"And  so  I  am."  His  voice  was  deep  and 
true.  "  Every  drop  of  blood  in  my  veins  is 
thrilled  by  the  challenge  of  the  United  States  to 
Asiatic  barbarism  ;  but  I'm  also  inspired  by  the 
sentiment  for  which  so  many  men  have  died  in 
every  country  and  every  age  — " 

A  sudden  sense  of  guilt  arrested  his  tongue, 
as  he  remembered  his  marriage  to  Miss  Crush, 
and  he  drew  back  from  the  perilous  verge  of 
avowal. 

"I  think  we'd  better  go  to  Mr.  Martin,"  he 
said  in  a  constrained  manner.  "  He  looks 
lonely,  and  the  tobacco  out  here  isn't  all  it's 
cracked  up  to  be." 

"  It  would  be  better,"  she  answered. 


286  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Her  feminine  instinct  perceived  the  change 
in  his  mood,  and  a  subtle  feeling  of  estrangement 
chilled  her  tone.  They  had  reached  an  angle 
of  the  great  corridor  which  ran  around  the  build- 
ing, and  turned  to  go  back. 

"  I  suppose  you've  not  changed  your  ideas 
about  marrying  an  Englishman,"  he  ventured 
with  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  laugh. 

"  The  gulf  is  as  deep  and  wide  as  ever,"  she 
answered  gayly.  "  As  you  were  saying  of  the 
Filipinos  a  little  while  ago,  we  must  surrender 
to  them  or  they  must  surrender  to  us ;  there's 
no  middle  course.  And  as  I  won't  be  a  British 
subject,  why,  there's  only  one  way.  But  I  really 
haven't  any  interest  in  the  matter,  anyhow." 

"  We  think  we  see  into  the  looking-glass 
when,  the  truth  is,  the  glass  sees  into  us,"  ob- 
served Hugh,  with  a  sigh. 

"That's  an  owlish  remark,  and  sounds  as  if 
it  ought  to  be  very  profound,  Mr.  Philosopher." 

"  I  was  thinking  of  myself.  If  my  nationality 
were  the  only  gulf  that  divided  us  — " 

The  note  of  despair  in  his  speech  caused  her 
to  look  up  quickly  at  the  handsome  brown  face, 


EAGLE    BLOOD  287 

and  something  she  saw  there  filled  her  with 
alarm.  They  were  approaching  Mr.  Martin, 
but  she  stayed  him  with  her  hand. 

"  Hugh,  you  have  some  secret  trouble^'  she 
murmured,  looking  into  his  face  with  the  sweet 
seriousness  of  a  privileged  sister.  "  There  has 
been  a  mystery  in  your  life  ever  since  the  day 
Mr.  Irkins  was  wounded.  You're  so  changed ; 
and  have  you  ever  stopped  to  think  that  it's 
nearly  a  year  since  I've  had  a  letter  from  you? 
What  is  this  thing  that  makes  you  turn  cold 
and  forget  your  friends  ?  Can't  you  trust 
me?" 

He  listened  to  her  with  unquiet  eyes  and  gloomy 
brow.  Taking  her  hand  in  his,  he  pressed  the 
little  fingers  and  shook  his  head. 

"  Your  father  is  beckoning,"  he  said.  "  Let 
us  go  to  him." 

The  color  fled  from  her  face,  and  she  drew 
away  from  him  with  an  offended  air. 

"  I  want  to  have  a  private  chat  with  you, 
Hugh,"  said  Mr.  Martin,  "unless  you  have  to 
report  for  duty  to-night." 

"  No,  I   have  leave  to  stay  with  you  for  two 


288  EAGLE    BLOOD 

or  three  days,  if  nothing  serious  happens ;  and 
as  the  enemy  has  had  a  good  thrashing,  it's  not 
likely  that  we  shall  be  troubled  for  some  time 
except  by  outbreaks  in  the  city." 

After  bidding  Helen  good  night,  Hugh  led  the 
way  to  his  room. 

"  I'm  almost  worn  out,"  he  said,  as  he  threw 
himself  into  a  chair.  "  Now  that  the  excitement's 
over,  I  feel  as  weak  as  a  kitten." 

"  I  don't  wonder,"  remarked  the  old  man, 
"  but  you  look  as  though  you  could  stand  any- 
thing. I  never  saw  such  a  change  in  a  man  in 
my  life." 

"  I  got  a  ripping  good  story  off  to  the  paper 
to-day." 

"  Good !  But  how  do  you  propose  to  do 
newspaper  work  in  the  future,  with  your  duties  as 
a  soldier  to  attend  to  ? " 

"  The  general  has  promised  to  let  me  have 
plenty  of  time  for  that ;  besides,  my  understand- 
ing was  that  you  were  to  take  charge  of  the  Mail's 
principal  correspondence." 

"  Well,  we'll  have  to  work  it  out  some  way,  my 
son." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  289 

Mr.  Martin  puffed  his  cigar  slowly  and  studied 
the  young  man's  face. 

"  I've  something  serious  to  say  to  you  to-night," 
he  said,  reaching  out  his  hand  and  laying  it  with 
a  kindly  touch  on  Hugh's  knee.  "  I've  had  it  in 
my  mind  all  the  way  from  New  York." 

He  paused  and  puffed  his  cigar  again  in  evident 
distress. 

"  Did  you  "  —  and  he  nodded  his  white  head 
toward  the  door  —  "did  you  say  anything  to  her 
to-night  ?  " 

"  Why,  of  course  I  did,"  said  Hugh,  smiling 
in  spite  of  the  veteran's  ominous  manner. 

"  Yes,  yes,  —  I  don't  mean  that,  Hugh ;  but 
did  you  —  dammit !  you  know  what  I  mean. 
Tell  me  the  truth.  My  little  girl  looked  un- 
happy just  now."  The  journalist's  voice  shook. 

"  Mr.  Martin,  I  understand  you."  The  ring 
of  his  words  was  steady.  "  No,  I  said  nothing. 
I  know  that  you  can't  be  blind  to  feelings  which 
I'm  not  always  able  to  conceal,  but  there  are 
circumstances  which  prevent  me  as  an  honorable 
man  from  —  " 

The  old  man  raised  his  hand  for  silence. 


290  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  She's  all  I  have  in  the  world,"  he  said,  as 
the  tears  gathered  to  his  fine  old  eyes.  "Just 
like  her  dear  mother  come  back  from  heaven 
to  comfort  me.  She  wasn't  made  for  sorrow, 
my  son  ;  and  although  she's  been  through  college, 
she  knows  little  of  the  seamy  side  of  the 
world." 

He  laid  his  cigar  down,  and  clasping  his 
knees  with  his  wrinkled  hands,  looked  straight 
into  Hugh's  face. 

"I've  heard  a  story  about  you  that  has  given 
me  some  sleepless  nights.  I  can't  believe  it, 
and  yet  I  must  hear  the  denial  from  your  own 
lips.  As  you  hope  for  heaven,  my  boy,  tell  me 
the  truth.  No,  don't  look  away ;  let  me  see 
your  face.  Have  you  a  wife  ?  " 

"  Before  God,  no ;  before  man,  I  can't  say." 

Mr.  Martin  sank  his  face  into  his  hands  and 
groaned.  His  sturdy  frame  trembled. 

"  My  God !  and  I  never  suspected  you." 

"  I  haven't  spoken  to  Helen  since  the  night 
it  happened,  until  to-day.  God  be  my  witness, 
sir,  that  I've  been  the  innocent  victim  of  an 
adventuress  I  first  met  under  your  roof." 


EAGLE    BLOOD 


291 


"Miss  Crush?  The  hell  cat!"  The  old 
man's  eyes  grew  stern.  "  So  it  was  I  heard  it. 
And  you  —  you,  my  boy.  Oh,  my  poor  little 
girl!" 

Hugh  experienced  a  bitter  pang  as  he  realized 
the  confession  of  shattered  hope  in  that  broken 
cry.  Never  before  had  he  understood  how  close 
he  was  to  Mr.  Martin's  heart;  and  the  snowy 
head  bowed  in  despair  stirred  a  sense  of  profound 
misery  in  him. 

Then  a  hot  current  of  indignation  ran  riot. 
A  thousand  wild  thoughts  rushed  in  upon  his 
brain.  Why  should  he  be  condemned  for  play- 
ing the  part  of  an  honest  man  ?  What  had  he 
done  to  deserve  this  moral  crucifixion  ?  Ah ! 
now  he  knew  what  love  meant,  —  gnawing,  tor- 
turing love.  He  would  fling  himself  on  his 
knees  and  tell  the  whole  cruel  story.  No,  he 
was  guiltless  —  condemned  without  a  hearing. 

Mr.  Martin  raised  his  head.  His  face  was 
seamed  and  puckered  ;  there  were  dark  hollows 
under  his  eyes,  his  mouth  drooped  pitifully,  and 
his  lips  were  ashen.  All  the  strength  seemed  to 
have  gone  out  of  him. 


292  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  I  haven't  told  her  a  word.  She  doesn't  even 
suspect  it.  Oh,  Hugh,  my  lad,  this  is  a  sore 
night  for  me." 

"  Mr.  Martin,"  said  Hugh,  "  it's  all  a  horrible 
mistake." 

The  journalist  shook  his  head  sorrowfully. 

"  Too  late,  too  late,  my  son." 

"  But  you  must  hear  me.  I'm  not  what  you 
think  I  am.  My  father's  son  can  look  any 
man  in  the  face  without  fear  or  shame." 

"  It'll  break  her  little  heart  when  she  hears 
it,"  muttered  the  old  man. 

"  I'll  tell  you  the  whole  truth,  sir ;  and  when 
I've  finished,  if  you  think  I've  flinched  ever  so 
little  from  the  line  of  duty  or  honor,  I'll  go 
back  to  England  by  the  next  steamer,  or  as 
soon  as  I  can  get  my  discharge." 

He  was  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
his  hands  on  his  hips,  his  head  thrown  back, 
and  his  clean-cut,  brown  features  standing  out 
in  the  lamplight  like  chiselled  bronze.  The 
veins  in  his  sinewy  neck  strained  like  whipcords. 
A  red  blotch  stained  the  breast  of  his  jacket. 
Even  the  rough  and  wrinkled  field  costume  could 


EAGLE    BLOOD  293 

not  disguise  the  aristocratic  lines  of  the  tall, 
supple  figure. 

"  I  can't  see  how  it  will  matter  much  now, 
my  lad,"  said  Mr.  Martin,  "  but  you  can  tell 
your  tale  in  your  own  way.  God  knows  I  had 
hoped  for  something  else  in  my  old  age.  No, 
I  can't  believe  you  guilty  of  treachery,  for 
even  an  Arab  respects  the  house  in  which  he 
eats  salt.  Go  on." 

The  first  words  of  the  story  of  his  marriage 
to  Miss  Crush  in  a  hypnotic  trance  had  scarcely 
crossed  his  lips  when  the  sound  of  a  rifle-shot 
in  the  plaza,  followed  by  a  death  scream,  inter- 
rupted him.  The  next  moment  a  bullet  crashed 
through  the  screen  of  the  open  window,  and 
split  a  panel  in  the  door  leading  to  the  corridor. 
The  cracking  and  rip-ripping  of  rifles  in  the 
streets,  the  fierce,  hoarse  shouting  of  men,  the 
trampling  rush  of  feet  across  the  plaza,  and 
the  wailing  of  some  one  in  pain,  caused  the  two 
men  to  run  to  the  window.  White  figures 
were  dashing  in  frantic  confusion  across  the 
plaza,  and  groups  of  American  soldiers  were 
entering  the  open  space  from  all  the  streets, 


294  EAGLE    BLOOD 

firing  as  they  advanced.  Windows  and  roof- 
tops blazed  with  rifle  fire.  Some  of  the  flying 
figures  knelt,  fired,  and  resumed  their  flight. 
The  hotel  was  in  a  general  uproar,  soldiers  and 
guests  pouring  out  into  the  plaza. 

"  My  God !  the  outbreak ! "  cried  Hugh. 
"  Run,  run  !  Find  Helen  and  stay  with  her  till 
I  come  to  you.  Let  no  one  enter  your  room. 
The  native  servants  are  not  to  be  trusted ;  they'll 
join  with  the  enemy  if  the  revolt  spreads,  and 
they're  sworn  to  kill  every  foreign  man,  woman, 
and  child.  Here  !  "  —  he  thrust  a  revolver  into 
Mr.  Martin's  hand  — "  lock  your  door  and 
defend  it.  We  must  get  Helen  into  the  walled 
city.  The  garrison  will  be  turned  out  at  once, 
but  the  outbreak  may  be  general,  and  before 
relief  can  reach  us  the  hotel  may  be  fired.  Bar- 
ricade your  door  and  don't  open  it  till  you  hear 
my  voice." 

He  spoke  quickly,  but  with  the  authority 
of  a  man  accustomed  to  action  and  to  danger, 
fastening  a  belt  of  cartridges  around  his  waist 
and  blowing  out  the  lamps  in  the  room. 

"  Turn   out   your    lights,"    he    exclaimed,    as 


EAGLE    BLOOD  295 

he  hurried  the  old  man  into  the  corridor.  "  If 
the  hotel  is  attacked,  the  natives  may  think 
your  room  is  vacant.  Barricade  the  door  with 
the  bed  and  keep  away  from  the  windows. 
Make  no  sound  till  I  come,  and  be  dressed 
and  ready  to  follow  me." 

A  few  minutes  later  Hugh  knocked  at  Helen's 
door  and  announced  his  name.  He  found  father 
and  daughter  arrayed  for  a  journey,  with  a  small 
handbag  of  clothing  set  on  a  table.  The  sounds 
of  conflict  in  the  plaza  had  died  out,  but  distant 
echoes  of  musketry  were  still  to  be  heard. 

"  It's  the  work  of  the  Katipunan,  the  secret 
revolutionary  society,"  he  explained.  "  There 
are  assassins  in  every  window  and  on  every  roof- 
top. We  must  leave  the  hotel  by  the  rear  way." 

Helen  still  wore  the  white  dress  in  which 
she  had  reached  Manila,  and  a  misty  scarf  was 
draped  about  her  head.  Her  face  was  pale, 
and  her  brown  eyes  flashed  as  she  saw  the  belt 
of  cartridges  around  his  waist. 

"  I'm  not  a  bit  afraid,"  she  said ;  "  at  least, 
not  while  you  are  with  us." 

His  cold,  formal  manner  puzzled  her. 


296  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"You  must  cover  yourself  with  something 
dark,"  he  said,  without  noticing  her  impulsive 
tribute.  "  A  white  dress  will  be  sure  to  draw 
fire  from  our  men  to-night ;  all  the  natives  wear 
white.  Here,  this  black  rain  cloak  is  just  the 
thing."  And  he  drew  the  garment  about  the 
slim  form. 

The  distant  attitude  of  respect  assumed  by 
the  young  soldier  did  not  escape  the  mind  of 
the  watchful  father,  who  recognized  the  delicate 
motive  which  prompted  it,  and,  as  they  passed 
through  the  corridor,  he  pressed  Hugh's  hand 
gratefully.  Descending  a  dark  stairway  and 
groping  their  way  through  an  arched  passage, 
they  reached  a  narrow  lane  at  the  back  of  the 
hotel.  At  the  corner  stood  a  horse  and  carriage. 
After  assisting  his  friends  into  the  carriage,  Hugh 
mounted  the  driver's  seat.  Turning  the  corner, 
he  drew  up  in  front  of  a  stable.  He  leaped 
from  the  carriage,  disappeared  in  the  stable  door, 
and  presently  returned  with  a  horse,  paddled, 
bridled,  and  haltered. 

"  I'll  have  to  ask  you  to  lead  my  horse,"  he 
said,  giving  the  tail  of  the  halter  to  Mr.  Martin. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  297 

Then  he  remounted  the  seat,  seized  the  reins, 
and  the  carriage  rattled  away  through  the  un- 
lighted  back  streets.  At  every  corner  they  were 
challenged  by  sentries.  Once  a  bullet  whistled 
over  them. 

"  Don't  mind  it,"  cried  Hugh,  looking  back. 
"  They're  poor  shots,  even  in  daylight." 

"  Can't  hear  a  bullet,  anyhow,  till  it's  passed," 
answered  the  old  man,  recovering  his  spirits  under 
the  influence  of  Hugh's  calm  voice.  "  Why,  sis, 
this  is  quite  romantic,  isn't  it  ?  Where  are  we 
bound  for,  Hugh  ?  " 

"  Fort  Santiago,  in  the  walled  city." 

"  That  sounds  safe." 

At  that  moment  three  white  figures  darted  out 
of  a  doorway  and  ran  into  the  street.  One  seized 
the  rein  of  the  carriage  horse  and  the  other  two 
dashed  at  the  carriage,  with  gleaming  bolos  up- 
raised. Hugh  whipped  out  his  revolver  and 
fired  at  the  two  ruffians.  With  a  cry  of  pain 
one  of  them  fled.  The  other  bounded  toward 
Hugh,  screaming  with  rage,  and  aimed  a  blow 
that  narrowly  missed  his  head.  He  heard  the 
sharp  blade  hiss  as  it  descended.  In  another 


298  EAGLE    BLOOD 

moment  the  assassin  lay  motionless  on  the  ground, 
with  a  bullet  through  his  head.  The  third  native 
uttered  a  shriek  of  terror  and  bounded  away  in 
the  darkness. 

"  Lie  down  in  the  bottom  of  the  carriage," 
commanded  Hugh  ;  "  there  may  be  others." 

There  was  a  rush  of  men  toward  them  from 
the  shadows  just  beyond,  and  Hugh  raised  his 
revolver. 

"  Don't  shoot !  "  cried  a  voice. 

It  was  an  American  patrol.  The  soldiers 
pressed  around  the  carriage,  and  when  one  of 
them  recognized  Hugh,  he  uttered  a  cheer  and 
swung  his  hat  above  his  head. 

"  Damned  if  it  isn't  the  Englishman  who 
saved  our  colors  to-day,"  he  shouted. 

"  Holy  smoke  !  that  was  a  corking  good  shot," 
said  a  soldier,  kneeling  beside  the  dead  native. 
"  Square  in  the  middle  of  the  forehead.  Went 
straight  to  hell  without  knowin'  what  struck 
him." 

"I  must  move  on;  make  way  there!"  cried 
Hugh.  "  I'm  escorting  this  lady  and  gentleman 
to  the  walled  city  for  safety." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  299 

A  cheer  burst  from  the  group  of  soldiers,  as 
the  carriage  swept  away  in  the  shadows.  Hugh 
felt  his  heart  dance  within  him.  He  was  knight 
to  her  at  last. 

Helen  and  her  father  had  been  silent  all 
through  the  swift  tragedy.  The  old  man  had 
his  arm  around  the  slight  figure  of  his  daughter. 
She  was  crying  softly. 

"There,  there  now.  It's  all  over.  No  one's 
hurt  but  a  miserable  cutthroat  who  deserved 
what  he  got."  Mr.  Martin's  voice  was  full  of 
tenderness. 

"  Oh,  daddy  !  thank  God  he's  safe  !  " 

Hugh  heard,  and  his  whole  nature  sang 
responsively. 

"  This  is  no  time  to  thank  you,  Hugh,"  said 
the  veteran,  "  and  I  don't  believe  I  could  tell 
you  all  I  think,  my  son." 

They  swung  into  the  brilliantly  lighted  Escolta, 
but  none  were  to  be  seen  save  the  patrols  and 
sentries.  Then  came  the  Bridge  of  Spain,  heavily 
defended  at  both  ends ;  the  bayonet-guarded  gate 
of  the  walled  city ;  the  silent,  narrow  streets  and 
ancient  Spanish  houses  ;  the  little  park  with  its 


300  EAGLE    BLOOD 

cathedral,  white  palace,  and  monastery ;  a  turn 
down  a  deserted  street,  a  loud  challenge  and  a 
quick  answer  from  Hugh,  a  dash  under  a  stone 
archway  —  and  they  were  in  the  arsenal  yard  of 
Fort  Santiago,  the  mightiest  stronghold  of  the 
Spanish  conquistadors. 

The  immensity  of  the  walls,  the  heaps  of  aban- 
doned cannon,  and  the  vastness  of  the  stone  ram- 
parts, seen  obscurely  in  the  gloom,  gave  a  sinister 
appearance  to  the  place. 

As  the  carriage  stopped  under  a  huge  tree  in 
front  of  a  small  building,  the  door  opened  and  a 
stout  officer  hailed  the  party,  raising  his  hat  when 
he  recognized  the  presence  of  Helen. 

"  Hello,  Dorsay  !  "  he  cried  heartily.  "  They've 
been  kicking  up  ructions  in  the  city  to-night,  but 
we've  got  them  under  control." 

"  Colonel  Denby  —  Mr.  Martin,  Miss  Martin," 
said  Hugh,  as  he  assisted  Helen  out  of  the  carriage. 

"  Delighted  to  meet  you,  I'm  sure,"  replied 
the  officer,  removing  his  hat.  "  These  are  the 
friends  you  spoke  of  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Under  the  circumstances,  I  felt  that 
the  hotel  would  be  unsafe  to-night." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  301 

"  You  showed  good  judgment,  sir,  and  we  have 
ample  accommodations,  rough  as  they  are.  Sev- 
eral of  my  officers  are  in  the  field  and  their  quar- 
ters are  vacant.  If  there  is  a  safe  place  in  the 
Philippines"  —  to  Helen  —  "this  is  it.  We've 
nothing  here  but  some  old  guns  and  a  few  case- 
mates filled  with  native  prisoners.  By  the  way, 
Dorsay,  I  hear  that  you've  enlisted." 

"  It's   true ;  I'm  a  sergeant." 

"Then,  sir,"  —  with  an  air  of  mock  severity, 
— "  you  will  please  bring  your  heels  together, 
turn  your  toes  out,  and  salute  your  superior 
officer  in  proper  form." 

Hugh  saluted.  The  colonel  returned  the 
courtesy  gravely. 

"  We've  been  attacked  on  the  way  over,"  said 
the  young  sergeant,  "  and  I  had  to  use  my  re- 
volver. I'm  afraid  Miss  Martin  has  been  ex- 
hausted by  the  experience  and  needs  rest." 

"  We  owe  our  lives  to  Mr.  Dcrsay,"  said 
Helen,  turning  her  sweet  face  toward  Hugh. 

"  He's  a  lucky  dog  to  have  the  chance  of  serv- 
ing a  charming  American  girl,"  growled  the  colo- 
nel, leading  the  way  into  his  quarters.  "The 


302  EAGLE    BLOOD 

rest  of  us  have  to  face  the  music  and  trust  to 
luck  for  our  thanks.  But  I  will  say  that  he  made 
a  jim-dandy  record  in  the  fight  this  morning. 
Saved  the  colors,  by  thunder !  An  Englishman, 
too  —  what  do  you  think  of  that?" 

The  garrulous  old  officer  punched  Hugh  in 
the  ribs. 

"And  now  he  has  the  cheek  to  intrude  his 
services  on  one  of  our  girls  —  allow  me,  Miss 
Martin." 

He  removed  the  rain  cloak  from  her  and  she 
stood  revealed  in  all  her  youth  and  loveliness, 
the  crushed  white  gauze  of  her  dress  clinging  to 
the  slim,  graceful  form  and  the  brown  hair 
shaken  loose  about  the  pale,  beautiful  face.  The 
colonel  started  back  with  a  look  of  surprise  and 
admiration. 

"You  are  the  real  thing,  sure  enough,"  he 
exclaimed.  "  I'd  almost  forgotten  what  a  beauti- 
ful American  girl  looked  like.  Excuse  me  for 
being  so  blunt.  And  you,  sir,  —  "  bowing  to  Mr. 
Martin,  — "  will  pardon  an  old  soldier  for  his 
plain  speech  ;  but  this  is  —  well,  it's  simply  over- 
powering. Miss  Martin,  I'm  the  commanding 


EAGLE    BLOOD  303 

officer  here,  and  so  far  as  I'm  concerned,  you 
can  own  this  fort." 

They  were  taken  upstairs,  and  the  clack  of 
the  colonel's  tongue  was  ceaseless,  as  he  pointed 
out  the  bare  mess  hall  and  the  officers'  sleeping 
rooms,  the  walls  of  which  were  hung  with  strange 
weapons  and  flags,  monstrous  hats,  buffalo  horns, 
brilliant  embroideries,  and  other  trophies  of  the 
American  occupation  of  Manila. 

"  This  will  be  your  room,  Miss  Martin,"  said  the 
colonel,  showing  Helen  into  a  small  corner  com- 
partment. "  The  regular  tenant  was  ordered  to  join 
his  regiment,  but  he  is  now  in  the  hospital.  Mr. 
Dorsay  might  be  able  to  tell  you  how  it  happened." 

"Jack  Remington!"  exclaimed  Hugh,  paus- 
ing in  front  of  a  photograph. 

"  It's  the  captain's  room,  sir." 

"  How  strange  that  I'm  to  have  the  room 
of  the  man  whose  life  you  preserved,"  murmured 
Helen,  turning  to  Hugh. 

"  And  here's  a  picture  of  his  sister,"  he  said. 
"  I  know  her  well.  You  remember  the  hand- 
some blond  girl  I  introduced  you  to  on  the 
golf  links  at  Larchmont  ?  " 


304  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  she  answered  with  a  darkening 
brow,  as  if  the  recollection  afforded  her  no 
pleasure. 

"  Remington  has  had  a  bad  turn,  poor  fellow," 
said  the  colonel.  "  That  bolo  thrust  in  the 
back  went  deeper  than  the  surgeons  thought  at 
first." 

A  light  step  brushed  the  entrance  to  the  room, 
and  Lieutenant  Perry,  covered  with  dust,  saluted 
the  colonel. 

"  I've  followed  Dorsay  over  from  the  hotel," 
he  said  apologetically. 

"  What's  up  ?  "  cried  Hugh. 

"You're  to  report  at  headquarters  immedi- 
ately. The  enemy  are  pressing  their  lines  in 
closer.  I  promised  the  general  to  pass  the  word 
to  you.  We  may  have  a  nasty  fight  before  the 
night's  over.  The  uprising  in  the  city  was  a 
failure,  but  the  niggers  outside  of  the  lines  are 
getting  sassy." 

"  I  must  leave  at  once,"  said  Hugh.  "  For- 
tunately I  brought  my  horse  with  me." 

Perry  saluted  again,  wheeled  about,  and  dis- 
appeared. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  305 

"  Mr.  Martin,  I  feel  sure  that  you  are  both 
in  safe  hands  now.  I'm  needed  at  the  front  and 
must  go  without  delay.  If  all  goes  well,  I'll 
see  you  to-morrow  or  the  next  day.  Meanwhile 
I  ask  you  to  trust  me."  He  looked  the  old 
man  straight  in  the  eyes.  "  I  promise  that  you 
shall  know  the  truth." 

"  I  believe  you,  my  son." 

Hugh  turned  to  Helen.  Her  face  was  white 
and  her  eyes  feverish. 

"  Oh,  must  you  go  ? "  she  pleaded,  her  little 
head  drooping  sidewise,  and  her  lip  trembling. 
"  It's  so  dangerous  out  there,  and  —  " 

"  God  keep  you ! "  said  Hugh,  soberly,  as  he 
bowed  to  her  with  an  air  of  restraint.  His  coun- 
tenance was  calm  and  his  voice  steady,  but 
there  was  a  mistiness  in  his  blue  eyes.  "  Colo- 
nel, "  —  with  a  salute,  —  "I  leave  them  in  your 
care.  Good  night !  " 

Without  another  word  he  left  the  room. 
They  saw  him  from  the  window  as  he  swung 
himself  into  the  saddle  and  galloped  through 
the  arched  gateway. 

"There's    a   man,"   said   the   colonel,  "who's 


306  EAGLE    BLOOD 

likely  to  make  a  good  American  —  if  he  doesn't 
get  killed  in  the  making.  Why,  Miss  Martin, 
what's  the  matter  ?  " 

Helen  had  fainted  in  her  father's  arms. 

"  Poor  little  girl,"  said  the  old  man,  tremu- 
lously. "  She's  tired  out  —  body,  head,  and 
heart." 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  movements  of  the  enemy  which  brought 
Hugh  out  to  the  firing  line  proved  to  be  nothing 
more  than  feints  by  which  the  native  commanders 
hoped  to  draw  the  Americans  out  of  their  trenches 
into  an  ambush ;  but  the  scouts  were  kept  busy 
stealing  out  here  and  there  on  the  ground  lying 
between  the  two  armies,  climbing  trees  and 
searching  out  the  details  of  the  insurgent  posi- 
tions. Hugh's  courage  and  resourcefulness  in 
reconnoitring  made  him  a  favorite  among  his 
comrades.  Several  times  he  barely  escaped  cap- 
ture while  seeking  for  weak  points  in  the  hostile 
lines.  The  general  recognized  his  valor  and 
intelligence  by  giving  him  command  of  the  scout- 
ing force,  a  small  body  of  men  picked  from  the 
various  regiments  of  the  division. 

The  young  scout's  favorite  resting-place  was  a 
little  wooden  platform  lashed  in  the  top  of  a 

3°7 


308  EAGLE    BLOOD 

towering  cocoanut  palm  and  reached  by  a  series 
of  wooden  cleats  nailed  to  the  smooth  trunk  of 
the  tree.  For  hours  he  would  remain  in  the  airy 
lookout,  under  a  dingy  strip  of  canvas,  scanning 
the  insurgents  through  his  field-glasses  or  jotting 
down  notes  of  field  news,  which  he  managed  to 
send  regularly  to  Mr.  Martin  for  use  in  his  cable 
despatches  to  the  Mail.  He  would  watch  the 
clouds  drifting  against  the  blue  of  the  sky  and 
the  great  shadows  moving  across  the  brilliant 
green  landscape,  and  there  would  come  a  longing 
that  would  send  his  spirit  ranging  into  the  sound- 
less space  between  heaven  and  earth.  From  his 
lonely  post  in  the  tree-top  he  could  see  beyond 
the  checkered  squares  of  rice  paddy,  the  alterna- 
tions of  bush  and  hut,  the  crooked  roads  and  the 
roof-tops  shimmering  in  the  heat,  to  the  gloomy 
fortress  which  sheltered  the  dearest  girl  in  all  the 
world. 

He  might  have  obtained  permission  to  go  into 
the  city,  but  instinct  held  him  where  he  was. 
Once  he  caught  a  wonderful  beetle  that  exhaled 
the  perfume  of  a  rose  and  sent  it  to  Helen  in  a 
bottle,  and  the  little  note  of  thanks  that  came 


EAGLE    BLOOD  309 

back  tempted  him  sorely  to  yield  to  his  heart  and 
visit  her.  Then  the  dark,  lean  face  of  Miss 
Grush  rose  before  him  in  silent  warning.  Mr. 
Martin  came  to  the  firing  line,  but,  seeing  the  old 
man  in  the  distance,  Hugh  avoided  him.  In 
answer  to  repeated  messages  from  father  and 
daughter,  complaining  of  his  absence,  he  pleaded 
the  urgency  of  his  duty  as  a  soldier. 

Up  in  his  aerial  retreat  Hugh  fought  over  and 
over  the  battle  of  heart  and  conscience.  He  told 
himself  that  he  was  in  no  way  bound  to  respect 
an  obligation  of  marriage  imposed  by  fraud.  By 
working  a  hypnotic  spell  upon  him,  Miss  Grush 
had  relieved  him  of  all  responsibility  for  his  sub- 
sequent words  or  acts.  Her  letter  to  him  was  a 
tacit  acknowledgment  that  he  was  still  free.  Yet, 
argue  as  he  would,  he  could  not  relieve  himself 
of  the  feeling  that,  until  he  had  cleared  up  the 
mystery  of  his  sham  wedding,  he  had  no  right  to 
approach  the  sacred  precincts  of  Helen's  heart. 
He  recalled  the  figure  of  Miss  Grush,  with  his 
ring  on  her  finger,  and  her  words  came  back  to 
him  with  torturing  significance,  "  I've  had  you 
for  my  own  for  this  hour  at  least." 


3io  EAGLE    BLOOD 

He  was  sure  that  the  woman  he  had  seen 
in  the  hospital  tent  on  the  night  of  the  battle 
was  Miss  Grush ;  but  in  spite  of  his  efforts 
to  find  her,  the  nurse  had  disappeared.  Not 
even  the  Dominican  nuns  knew  where  she  might 
be  found,  and  although  Hugh  enlisted  the 
friendly  influence  of  the  surgeons,  he  failed  to 
discover  a  trace  of  the  soft- voiced  "  Miss 
Agnes."  Once  he  thought  he  saw  her  through 
his  field-glasses,  standing  near  the  door  of  his 
tent,  but  when  he  descended  from  his  tree-top, 
she  was  gone. 

"  Sergeant,"  said  the  general,  "  I've  a  sur- 
prise in  store  for  you." 

Hugh  saluted  and  waited  expectantly. 

"At  my  request  the  President  has  given  you 
a  lieutenant's  commission.  The  announcement 
came  by  cable  to-day.  I  congratulate  you 
heartily,  sir.  No  man  has  ever  won  a  better 
right  to  wear  an  officer's  sword." 

"  Thank  you,  general,  but  there  surely  must 
be  some  mistake.  I'd  be  proud  to  hold  a  com- 
mission in  the  American  army,  but  I'm  still 
an  Englishman." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  311 

"That's  all  right,  sir.  You're  a  lieutenant 
of  volunteers,  and  your  nationality  has  nothing 
to  do  with  it.  The  Marquis  of  Lafayette  was 
a  major-general  in  Washington's  army,  and 
still  remained  a  Frenchman.  Permit  me  to 
present  you  with  a  sword  "  —  he  handed  Hugh 
a  handsome  blade  — "  that  was  worn  by  a  man 
who  loved  our  flag  well  enough  to  die  for 
it.  As  the  Spaniards  say,  may  you  never 
draw  it  without  cause  or  sheathe  it  without 
honor." 

It  was  the  afternoon  of  the  fifth  day  of 
Hugh's  service  as  a  scout.  He  hung  his  sword 
in  his  little  tent  and  wandered  out  into  a  thick 
grove  of  bamboos  and  palms.  As  he  left  the 
camp,  a  courier  from  Manila  handed  him  a 
letter  bearing  the  London  postmark,  forwarded 
from  New  York,  and  addressed  in  his  solicitor's 
familiar  handwriting.  On  reaching  the  shade 
of  the  trees  he  threw  himself  on  the  soft  grass 
and  tore  the  missive  open.  "  Poor  old  Chad- 
der,"  he  thought.  "  I  wonder  what  he'd  think, 
if  he  saw  me  in  an  American  uniform  ? "  The 
letter  ran :  — 


3i2  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"THE  VISCOUNT  DELAUNAY  :  — 

"  My  Lord :  The  failing  health  of  your  noble 
grandfather,  Lord  Castlehurst,  and  the  perni- 
cious activity  of  the  newspaper  gossips,  make 
it  highly  desirable  that  your  lordship  should 
return  to  England  as  soon  as  possible.  The 
earl  has  not  yet  taken  to  bed,  but  he  is  confined 
to  his  room,  being  afflicted  with  rheumatism. 
The  medical  man  is  of  opinion  that  his  lord- 
ship may  live  for  some  years  yet ;  but  the  news- 
papers—  according  to  their  meddlesome  habit 
—  have  taken  it  into  their  heads  that  the  earl 
is  in  extremis,  and  there  are  frequent  references 
to  the  succession.  Already  the  radical  journals 
have  fallen  into  the  practice  of  referring  to  your 
lordship  as  { the  lost  Lord  Delaunay.'  I  have 
done  my  utmost  to  prevent  this,  and  have  re- 
monstrated with  the  editors,  assuring  them  that 
your  lordship  is  still  travelling  in  Europe  for 
your  health's  sake ;  however,  they  will  insist 
on  making  a  mystery  of  the  matter.  I  shall 
continue  under  your  lordship's  strict  injunction 
to  withhold  all  information  regarding  your  pres- 
ent name  or  whereabouts,  although  —  I  take 


EAGLE    BLOOD  313 

the  liberty  to  say  —  the  time  has  come  when 
you  should  take  counsel  with  yourself  as  to  the 
wisdom  of  abandoning  the  experiment  of  anony- 
mous life  in  America  and  resuming  the  dis- 
tinguished name  and  rank  to  which  your  birth 
entitles  you. 

"  I  note  with  some  regret  the  views  expressed 
in  your  lordship's  last  letter  touching  the  Amer- 
ican theory  of  equal  privileges,  and  can  only 
hope  that  time  and  experience  will  convince  you 
that  government  by  the  masses,  unrestrained  by 
the  conservative  influence  of  a  cultivated  and 
hereditary  aristocracy,  must,  in  time,  destroy  civ- 
ilization and  liberty.  You  are  living  in  a  coun- 
try which  is  rapidly  falling  under  the  dominion 
of  money,  and  as  you  must  see  upon  reflection, 
conditions  of  equality  cannot  long  endure  in  a 
people  blinded  by  the  mere  instinct  of  acquisi- 
tion. 

"It  occurs  to  me  that  the  prospects  of  war 
in  South  Africa  might  persuade  your  lordship 
to  return  to  London  and  apply  for  a  commission 
in  her  Majesty's  army. 

cc  With  every  wish  for  your  continued  health 


3H  EAGLE    BLOOD 

and   prosperity,  I    am    your    lordship's    devoted 
and  obedient  servant, 

"ALFRED  CHADDER." 

Enclosed  in  the  letter  was  a  cutting  from  a 
prominent  radical  newspaper:  — 

«'  The  mysterious  disappearance  of  the  Viscount  Delaunay, 
heir  to  the  venerable  Earl  of  Castlehurst,  is  another  illustration 
of  the  decay  of  our  institutions.  At  a  time  when  British  trade 
and  influence  are  staggering  under  the  blows  dealt  by  organized 
American  capital,  and  when  legislative  means  must  soon  be 
devised  to  meet  the  crushing  competition  which  threatens  the 
prosperity  of  the  empire,  this  young  man,  who  will  one  day 
sit  in  the  House  of  Lords,  vanishes  from  his  native  country. 
It  is  said  that  he  is  wandering  about  Europe  under  an  assumed 
name  in  search  of  pleasure.  How  long  will  the  good-natured 
British  public  consent  to  have  its  laws  made  by  a  hereditary 
legislative  body  —  the  only  one  in  the  world  —  whose  members 
prepare  themselves  for  the  serious  business  of  government  in  this 
manner  ?  The  missing  Viscount  is  the  last  descendant  of  a 
famous  line  stretching  back  to  the  Conqueror.  Is  it  possible 
that  the  rugged  race  that  won  these  islands  from  barbarism  is 
at  last  wearing  out  ?  Must  we  soon  have  to  admit  that  Eng- 
land has  become  like  '  a  sedge  field,  exhausted  by  excessive 
cultivation '  ? " 

He  folded  the  letter  and  stared  through  the 
darkness  made  by  the  trees.  Beyond  the  gloomy 


EAGLE    BLOOD  315 

tangle  of  branch  and  vine,  the  distant  sunshine 
sifted  softly,  like  light  in  a  mullioned  window. 
A  breeze  stirred  the  palm  trees  overhead;  a 
flying  lizard  leaped  above  his  head  and  ran  glow- 
ing to  the  end  of  a  fluttering  branch ;  a  bird 
called  tenderly  to  its  mate ;  the  faint  notes  of  a 
bugle  echoed  in  the  air. 

As  his  eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  deep 
shade,  Hugh  was  aware  of  a  white  figure  leaning 
against  a  tree.  Something  in  the  graceful  atti- 
tude made  his  blood  run  fast,  and  he  rose  to  his 
feet.  A  peal  of  girlish  laughter  rang  through 
the  grove  and  Helen  came  tripping  through  the 
grass  like  a  sylvan  sprite,  the  incarnation  of 
youth  and  innocence.  He  uttered  a  glad  cry. 

"  Well,  Lieutenant,  I've  been  watching  you 
for  ever  so  long.  I  thought  you'd  never  get 
through  that  letter." 

"  Lieutenant  ?  Why,  how  did  you  know  that  ? 
I  only  learned  it  myself  a  few  minutes  ago." 

"  It's  gazetted  in  the  Manila  newspapers. 
Everybody  knows  it  now.  And  daddy  says 
you've  been  living  in  a  tree,  like  a  bird ;  and, 
oh,"  —  she  clapped  her  little  hands,  —  "  how  well 


3i6  EAGLE   BLOOD 

you  look  in  uniform !  You  know  I  haven't 
seen  your  sergeant's  chevrons  before.  What  a 
wonderful  thing  it  must  seem  to  be  a  real  scout ! 
I'm  just  dying  to  hear  about  it —  But  I  forgot!" 
—  she  drew  her  slight  figure  up  with  an  adorably 
graceful  gesture  —  "you've  turned  away  from 
your  old  friends,  and  I'm  deeply  offended." 

"  Helen ! " 

She  colored  before  the  yearning  glance  of 
the  steady  blue  eyes. 

"  I  wouldn't  have  come  here  but  for  daddy ; 
really,  I  wouldn't.  I  left  him  in  the  general's 
quarters  and  strolled  out  under  the  trees 
when  —  " 

"  When  you  heard  I  was  here  ?  Be 
honest ! " 

"  Your  modesty,  sir,  is  —  " 

"  Helen ! " 

His  voice  was  low  and  deep. 

"  Hugh ! " 

He  took  her  hands  in  his. 

"  I  have  waited  so  long,"  he  said.  "  Even 
now  I  dare  not  speak." 

She  drew  herself  away  from  him  shyly. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  317 

"  I  must  go  if  you  insist  on  talking  like  that," 
she  said,  with  down-dropped  eyes.  "  You  know 
that  daddy  and  I  think  the  world  of  you  and 
it  isn't  fair,  after  you've  saved  our  lives,  to  take 
advantage  of  an  accidental  meeting;  it  was  an 
accident  "  —  his  eyes  were  laughing  —  "  and 
you  needn't  flatter  yourself  that  I  expected  to 
find  you  here." 

He  slid  into  the  grass  at  her  feet  and  stretched 
out  his  sinewy  form  with  boyish  abandon. 

"  How  beautiful  this  place  is,"  he  remarked 
irrelevantly. 

She  plucked  a  spray  of  scarlet  blossoms  that 
grew  beside  her  and  stripped  the  petals  one  by 
one. 

"  The  whole  world  is  beautiful,  Hugh.  It's 
just  as  we  make  it  ourselves.  We  sometimes 
shut  our  natures  up  and  complain  that  it's  dark 
and  lonely,  when  all  the  time  the  sun  is  shining 
and  the  birds  are  singing  outside ;  but  when 
we  open  the  doors  and  windows  we  know  that 
the  light  and  beauty  of  heaven  is  to  be  had  for 
the  seeking.  We  don't  even  have  to  seek  them 
always ;  they'll  come  if  we  only  let  them  in." 


318  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"In  my  tree-top  I've  been  seeing  the  world 
as  I  never  saw  it  before." 

"Ah,  Hugh,  the  world  looks  different  when 
you  get  high  enough  up  to  see  it  as  it  is." 

"  On  each  side  of  a  beautiful  landscape  I've 
seen  men  with  homes  and  wives  and  children, 
men  who  had  no  quarrel  with  each  other — wait- 
ing and  watching  for  a  chance  to  kill." 

"  Why,  what  a  gruesome  turn  !  " 

"This  morning  I  saw  a  great  bird  soaring 
against  the  sun  and  then  searching  the  earth  for 
prey.  I  couldn't  make  out  whether  it  was  a 
vulture  or  an  eagle  —  I  don't  even  know  if  there 
are  eagles  in  the  Philippines.  Wouldn't  it  be 
strange  if  the  American  eagle  which  has  stretched 
its  wings  over  these  islands  should  turn  out, 
after  all,  to  be  a  vulture,  tearing  the  vitals  out 
of  the  only  republic  ever  established  in  Asia  ? " 

She  made  no  answer,  but  stood  stripping  the 
scarlet  blossoms  and  strewing  them  on  the  grass. 

"  The  letter  you  saw  me  reading  was  from 
England,"  he  said.  "  It  reminds  me  that  the 
country  of  my  birth  may  soon  need  soldiers  to 
fight  for  her;  and  the  question  is  whether  it  is 


"  '•WOULD'  YOU  BE   SORRT   IF   I  SHOU1 
TO    ENGLAND,   HELEN?  '  " 


EAGLE   BLOOD  319 

better  to  serve  under  the  lion  in  Africa  or  under 
the  eagle  in  the  Philippines." 

For  a  few  moments  there  was  silence.  He 
watched  the  deepening  shadows  in  her  face. 

"  Would  you  be  sorry  if  I  should  return  to 
England,  Helen  ?  I'm  a  gentleman  there  by 
right  of  birth." 

She  hung  her  head.  The  flowers  dropped  from 
her  hand. 

"  It's  a  question  for  your  conscience,"  she  said 
with  an  effort. 

"  Isn't  it  a  question  of  patriotism  ?  " 

"  Patriotism  ?  Yes,  but  who  can  say  what 
country  he  belongs  to  ?  Has  the  country  of  his 
nativity  a  better  claim  upon  him  than  the  country 
of  his  choice  ?  You  are  an  Englishman  by  the 
accident  of  birth ;  you  couldn't  help  yourself, 
could  you  ?  And  now,  when  America  is  calling 
the  best  blood  of  all  countries  to  her  —  oh,  Hugh, 
Hugh,  can't  you  see  that  the  hope  of  the  world 
is  in  our  flag  ?  " 

The  long,  clear  call  of  a  bugle  sounded  through 
the  trees.  It  was  repeated  in  varying  cadences, 
now  high,  now  low,  and  died  away  tremblingly. 


320  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"Do  you  understand  the  meaning  of  that  call  ?  " 
he  asked. 

She  shook  her  head. 

"It  is  assembling  men  for  the  game  of  life  or 
death." 

"Is  there  to  be  another  battle  ?  " 

"  To-morrow  the  left  wing  of  the  division  will 
swing  forward  until  our  line  is  straightened.  We 
must  press  the  enemy's  main  force  back.  It  will 
be  rough  work,  Helen." 

"  I  tremble  when  I  think  of  it." 

She  was  pale  now.  Her  bosom  heaved,  and 
she  drew  her  hands  up  with  a  little  shiver.  He 
noticed  the  movement,  and  the  man  within  him 
rejoiced. 

"  Must  you  —  must  you  go  into  the  fight  ?  Is 
there  no  service  that  calls  for  intelligence  — 
you're  an  officer  now,  Hugh  —  something  that 
won't  expose  you  ?  " 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  that  the  safest  place  isn't 
right  in  front,"  he  answered  grimly.  "The  little 
beggars  are  such  bad  shots  that  a  fellow  in  the 
rear  is  more  likely  to  be  hit  than  the  one  aimed 
at." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  321 

He  raised  himself  on  one  elbow  and  brushed 
the  pale  hair  back  from  his  bronzed  forehead. 

"  Would  you  care  very,  very  much,  if  anything 
should  happen  to  me  ?  " 

"  Can  you  ask  me  that  ?  " 

He  saw  the  tears  starting  in  her  brown  eyes 
and  the  insurgent  pink  in  her  dimpled  cheeks. 

"  I  think  I'm  just  a  little  bit  of  a  brute,  Helen, 
but  I  — well,  I  wanted  to  hear  you  say  it  just  that 
way." 

Again  the  bugle  notes  swelled  through  the  air, 
this  time  with  a  quick  lilt. 

"  No,  you  needn't  mind  that  one.  It's  nothing 
more  heroic  than  the  dinner  call." 

"  Is  it  so  late  ?  "  exclaimed  Helen,  noticing  for 
the  first  time  the  low  slant  of  the  sun's  rays 
through  the  grove. 

"  Oh,  there  are  two  hours  of  good  daylight  yet 
and  —  by  George  !  just  the  thing  —  won't  you 
stay  and  have  a  soldier's  dinner  ?  We  needn't  go 
to  the  mess  tent ;  I  can  have  a  table  carried  under 
the  trees." 

"  I  should  be  delighted.     What  a  lark  !  " 

"  Roast  beef  from  Australia,  onions  from  Cali- 


322  EAGLE    BLOOD 

fornia,  potatoes  from  Oregon,  coffee  from  Java, 
and  hardtack  from  I  don't  know  where." 

"  Sumptuous ! " 

"  And  all  served  on  tin  dug  from  the  mountains 
of  South  Dakota." 

"  Hurrah  !  There's  daddy  now,  waving  his  hat 
at  us,  across  the  rice  fields.  Dear  old  daddy ; 
doesn't  he  look  funny  with  a  revolver  strapped  to 
him  ?  And  he  insists  on  wearing  spurs,  although 
he  always  rides  in  a  hack." 

"  I've  been  looking  everywhere  for  you,  sis," 
panted  Mr.  Martin,  as  he  reached  the  edge  of  the 
wood.  "  How  do  you  do,  Hugh  ?  My  congratu- 
lations on  your  promotion.  My !  but  it's  hot, 
and  these  blessed  spurs  catch  in  everything ;  got 
to  wear  them,  you  know  —  can't  tell  the  moment 
I'll  have  to  risk  my  neck  on  one  of  these  native 
animals.  War's  war,  and  we  must  be  prepared 
for  anything.  But  how  did  you  manage  to  stray 
out  here,  sis  ?  " 

"  Why,  daddy,  you  were  so  busy  with  the 
general  that  I  rambled  over  to  the  shade,  and  to 
my  surprise,  who  should  I  find  here  but  our  new 
officer." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  323 

"  Urn,  I  see,"  muttered  her  father,  with  a  sly 
glance  at  the  blushing  face.  "  Very  remarkable  — 
very  !  Simply  extraordinary  !  " 

The  old  man  seated  himself  on  a  fallen  bamboo 
trunk  and  bared  his  head  in  the  shade. 

"  Well,"  he  exclaimed, "  who'd  ha.ve  ever  thought 
of  seeing  Uncle  Sam's  sword  buckled  on  your 
thigh  ?  Do  you  remember  the  night  Helen  sang 
*  The  Sword  of  Bunker  Hill '  to  you  ?  Never 
saw  a  man  look  bluer  than  you  did." 

"You  could  hardly  expect  a  fellow  to  feel 
cheerful  over  his  country's  defeat,  could  you  ?  " 

"  Tut,  tut,  my  boy  !  When  any  outsider  talks 
to  you  about  those  days,  just  look  him  straight  in 
the  eye  and  tell  him  that  Anglo-Saxons  have 
never  surrendered  except  to  Anglo-Saxons." 

"  I  never  thought  of  it  that  way  before,"  said 
Hugh,  slowly. 

"  Of  course  you  haven't.  There  are  lots  of 
things  you  haven't  thought  of.  For  instance, 
my  son,  it  hasn't  probably  occurred  to  you  that 
it's  dinner  time." 

"  Oh,  yes,  it  has,  daddy,"  cried  Helen,  trium- 
phantly, slipping  her  little  round  arm  about  the 


EAGLE    BLOOD 

veteran's  neck,  "  and  we're  invited  to  dine  on  real 
army  rations ;  and  I've  accepted." 

"Good!"  said  Mr.  Martin.  "It'll  be  tough 
fare  if  it  doesn't  beat'  the  eternal  fried  eggs  of  the 
hotel." 

"  But  I  thought  you  were  both  living  in  Fort 
Santiago  ? " 

"  We  were,  but  we've  gone  back  to  the  hotel. 
I  couldn't  think  of  intruding  on  the  officers'  mess 
after  the  danger  was  over.  My  only  trouble  now 
is  with  the  army  censor." 

"  Muttonhead !  "  observed  Hugh. 

"  That's  just  it,  my  boy.  I  bang  him  in  every 
despatch  I  send  to  the  Mail" 

"  That'll  make  things  worse,  won't  it  ?  " 

"  Maybe  yes,  and  maybe  no.  You  see  "  —  the 
old  man  cocked  his  head  in  a  judicial  attitude 
and  pursed  his  lips  —  "  I'm  proceeding  on  an  old 
theory.  It's  just  this  :  If  you  see  a  horse,  hit  him 
on  the  nose.  He  may  never  love  you,  but  he's 
always  sure  to  be  deeply  interested  in  your  move- 
ments. That  isn't  an  original  idea,  but  it's  a 
mighty  sensible  one.  I  guess  I'll  get  my  de- 
spatches through  all  right  in  time.  Just  now  I 


EAGLE    BLOOD  325 

have  to  send  them  by  steamer  to  the  cable  office 
in  Hong  Kong.  The  military  governor  threat- 
ened to  have  me  sent  home,  if  I  didn't  change 
the  tone  of  my  articles." 

"  And  what  did  you  say  to  that  ? " 

"  Oh,  nothing,  nothing  —  just  told  him  that 
home  had  no  terrors  for  me.  Neat,  wasn't  it  ?  " 

They  walked  through  the  crackling  rice  stubble, 
and  Hugh  laughed  heartily  at  the  old  man's 
picturesque  sallies  against  the  military  martinets 
of  Manila.  Presently  they  reached  the  young 
officer's  tent,  and  Helen  insisted  on  holding 
his  sword  in  her  hand.  Then  a  rough  table 
was  set  out  under  the  wide-spreading  branches 
of  a  mango  tree,  and  the  three  sat  down  to  a 
meal  served  from  the  mess  tent. 

The  dying  sun  shed  a  ruddy  glow  over  the 
scene,  and  a  cool  breeze  from  the  west  set  the 
leaves  rustling.  Across  the  fields  stood  a  row 
of  white  tents,  rose-tinted  in  the  radiance  of 
sunset.  An  indescribable  charm  of  color  dwelt 
on  tree  and  bush  and  meadow.  They  could 
hear  the  laughter  of  the  soldiers,  and  the  clank- 
ing of  their  tin  cups  and  plates.  Before  the 


326  EAGLE    BLOOD 

repast  was  ended,  the  sun  had  set  and  the  earth 
lay  hushed  in  twilight  under  a  sky  of  amethyst 
and  gold.  Suddenly  they  heard  the  sound  of  a 
man's  voice  singing  high  and  clear :  — 

"  Abide  with  me,  fast  falls  the  eventide  ; 

The  darkness  deepens,  Lord  with  me  abide. 
When  other  helpers  fail  and  comforts  flee, 
Help  of  the  helpless,  O  abide  with  me." 

They  left  the  table  and  listened  to  the  battle- 
eve  hymn. 

"I  fear  no  foe,  with  Thee  at  hand  to  bless, 

Ills  have  no  weight,  and  tears  no  bitterness. 
Where  is  death's  sting  ?     Where,  grave,  thy  victory  ? 
I  triumph  still,  if  Thou  abide  with  me." 

"  It's  Chaplain  Gray,  holding  an  open-air 
prayer  meeting,"  said  Hugh.  "  He  believes  that 
there's  a  time  to  pray  as  well  as  a  time  to  fight." 

They  strolled  in  the  deepening  shadows  across 
the  parched  fields,  and  just  beyond  a  screen  of 
trees  they  came  upon  the  soldier  congregation, 
kneeling  bareheaded  in  the  grass,  with  the  young 
chaplain  in  the  midst,  his  hands  locked,  his 
handsome,  spiritual  face  upturned,  and  his  lips 
moving  in  prayer. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  327 

It  was  a  scene  of  exquisite  beauty  and  peace. 
The  dying  light  fell  on  the  rows  of  bowed 
heads,  and  shone  in  the  face  of  the  chaplain  like 
a  benediction.  All  was  dusk,  save  where  the 
reflected  afterglow  of  sunset  descended  through 
an  opening  in  the  green  branches.  The  strong, 
lithe  bodies  bent  so  humbly  were  motionless 
as  stone  images,  and  the  voice  of  the  chap- 
lain was  the  only  sound  that  disturbed  the 
silence. 

Instinctively  Hugh  took  Helen's  hand,  and 
the  young  pair  knelt  at  the  foot  of  a  tall  bamboo. 
Mr.  Martin  followed  their  example. 

"  O  Thou,  who  seest  into  the  hearts  of  men," 
prayed  the  chaplain,  "  look  into  our  hearts  and 
banish  anger  and  passion,  that  we  may  do  Thy 
will  even  unto  death  in  a  righteous  spirit.  Make 
strong  the  hearts  of  our  soldiers,  O  Christ,  but 
keep  them  still  merciful." 

"Amen!"    exclaimed    Mr.   Martin,  fervently. 

"  Let  no  drop  of  blood  be  shed  to-morrow, 
save  for  the  sake  of  liberty." 

"  Amen  ! " 

"  God  of  the  nations,  waste  not  the  lives  of 


328  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Thy  children.  May  freedom  germinate  in  the 
battle-field  and  blossom  and  bear  fruit." 

"  Amen ! " 

The  chaplain  arose  and  glanced  smilingly 
toward  the  old  journalist,  whose  hearty  re- 
sponses had  caused  several  of  the  soldiers  to 
turn  their  heads. 

"  Come  forward,  friends,"  he  said. 

The  three  moved  out  and  -stood  among  the 
soldiers,  and  presently  they  were  singing  with 

the  rest:  — 

"Our  fathers'  God  !  to  Thee, 
Author  of  liberty, 

To  Thee  we  sing: 
Long  may  our  land  be  bright 
With  freedom's  holy  light ; 
Protect  us  by  Thy  might, 
Great  God,  our  King." 

By  the  time  the  benediction  was  given  they 
were  in  darkness,  and  the  sound  of  random  firing 
announced  that  the  enemy  had  begun  the  ordi- 
nary night's  work. 

As  Hugh  led  his  friends  away  from  the  prayer 
meeting,  his  keen  eyes  caught  a  glimpse  of  a 
woman  in  black,  who  rose  from  her  knees  and 


EAGLE    BLOOD  329 

glided  toward  a  clump  of  trees.  As  she  reached 
the  edge  of  the  deep  shade,  she  appeared  to  turn 
and  watch  him.  He  recognized  the  catlike 
steps  and  alert  poise  of  the  head.  Was  it  Miss 
Grush  ?  His  heart  seemed  to  stop  beating. 

Without  a  word  of  explanation,  he  strode  rap- 
idly toward  the  mysterious  figure,  but,  as  he 
advanced,  the  stranger  vanished  into  the  gloom 
and  he  could  find  no  sign  of  her.  There  could 
be  no  doubt  that  she  had  fled  to  avoid  him.  He 
searched  among  the  trees  and  bushes  and  strained 
his  eyes  over  the  surrounding  rice  paddies  in 
vain.  The  mystery  maddened  him.  Once  he 
thought  he  heard  a  mocking  laugh  in  the  dark- 
ness, but  it  proved  to  be  the  clucking  of  some 
bird  disturbed  by  his  movements. 

"  I  thought  I  saw  an  old  friend,"  he  explained, 
when  he  returned  to  his  companions  and  started 
them  toward  his  tent. 

"  I  could  have  sworn  I  saw  a  woman  out 
there,"  said  Mr.  Martin. 

Hugh  was  silent.  Their  way  led  them  close 
to  the  trenches,  through  a  lane  of  low  tents 
crowded  with  soldiery,  the  officers'  canvas  being 


330  EAGLE    BLOOD 

set  here  and  there  beyond,  under  the  trees,  with- 
out any  attempt  at  regularity.  Companies  of 
infantry  moved  quietly  along  the  front  like 
hundred-legged  caterpillars ;  ammunition  and 
commissary  wagons  rumbled  in  from  the  Ma- 
nila road.  They  passed  a  small  stone  church 
set  in  the  open  country ;  a  surgeon  and  his 
assistants  were  preparing  bandages  and  litters  on 
the  doorstep.  The  starry  glory  of  the  sky  and 
the  tropical  perfumes  borne  on  the  night  air 
stirred  Helen  to  an  outburst  of  admiration. 
But  the  young  officer  spoke  no  word.  Mr. 
Martin  was  also  glum  and  averse  to  conversation. 

When  his  tent  was  reached,  Hugh  lit  a 
lantern. 

"  How  pale  you  are  !  "  cried  Helen. 

His  face  was  drawn  and  his  lips  hard  set. 

"  Look  as  if  you'd  seen  a  ghost,"  said  the  old 
man. 

"  It's  nothing,"  said  Hugh,  turning  to  Helen 
with  a  faint  smile.  "You  must  expect  to  find 
a  soldier  serious  before  battle.  You  know  we 
go  into  action  to-morrow  morning." 

"  That  isn't  it,"  she  said  gently,  with  a  quick 


EAGLE    BLOOD  331 

glance  from  her  brown  eyes.  "  I  know  you  well 
enough  to  understand  that  these  sights  and 
sounds  of  preparation  only  move  your  enthusi- 
asm. You  are  ill." 

"  Would  you  mind  waiting  in  here  alone  while 
I  have  a  few  words  with  your  father  ?  I  must 
speak  to  him  now  and  speak  alone." 

Mr.  Martin  raised  his  eyebrows  and  coughed 
in  an  embarrassed  way.  Helen  clasped  her  little 
hands  above  her  head  and  pouted. 

"  A  secret  ?  " 

"  Well,  a  sort  of  secret." 

"  Does  it  "  —  she  smiled  nervously  —  "  does 
it  concern  me  ?  " 

"  Oh,  come  now,  sis,"  objected  the  veteran, 
"  that  isn't  fair.  Anyway,  we've  got  to  talk  over 
arrangements  for  getting  the  news  in  from  the 
front  to-morrow." 

"  I  wish  I  could  tell  you  to-night,  but  I  can't," 
said  Hugh,  earnestly,  as  he  went  out  of  the  tent, 
followed  by  Mr.  Martin. 

The  two  men  walked  a  short  distance  away 
from  the  camp  without  speaking,  and  then  Hugh 
stopped  and  faced  the  old  man. 


332  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  I'm  sure  I've  seen  her  to-night,"  he  said 
hoarsely. 

"  Miss  Crush  ?     No  !  " 

"  Yes,  I  can't  be  mistaken.  It  was  she  you 
saw  in  the  edge  of  the  woods.  I've  been  trying 
to  find  her  for  a  week.  She  was  watching  us 
to-night  —  I'm  sure  of  it;  and  when  I  went  after 
her,  she  disappeared  as  if  the  earth  had  swallowed 
her.  My  God !  Mr.  Martin,  what  shall  I  do  ? 
I  promised  to  tell  you  everything,  and  yet  I'm 
surrounded  by  a  mystery  I  can't  fathom.  She 
has  followed  me  here,  and  shadows  my  life  like 
some  evil  spirit." 

"  Is  she  your  wife,  Hugh  ? "  The  old  man 
laid  his  hand  on  his  companion's  shoulder. 
"  Don't  beat  around  the  bush,  my  son." 

They  stared  face  to  face  in  the  darkness. 
Each  could  feel  the  trembling  of  the  other. 

"  Before  God,  I  am  the  victim  of  a  cruel  plot." 

"  Answer  my  question." 

"  I  can't." 

"  Why  ? " 

"  Because  I  don't  know." 

Hugh  felt  the  old  man's  hand  gripping  his 
shoulder  fiercely. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  333 

"  That's  not  the  answer  of  an  honest  man." 
"  Listen,  and  you  shall  be  the  judge." 
In  a  few  words  Hugh  told  the  story  of  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Grush  while  in  a  hypnotic 
trance,  the  assault  on  David  Irkins,  the  letter 
of  the  fugitive  adventuress,  and  the  scene  in  the 
hospital  tent  on  the  night  of  the  battle.  He 
told  his  tale  bluntly,  making  no  attempt  to 
extenuate  his  own  faults,  and  concealing  only 
his  rank  and  title.  They  walked  back  and  forth 
on  the  edge  of  a  rice  field  under  a  group  of 
palms.  Mr.  Martin  listened  in  silence. 

"  Thank  God,  my  boy  !  "  he  said  when  the 
story  was  done.  "  I  always  believed  in  you,  and 
you've  taken  a  great  weight  off  my  heart.  The 
thing  now  is  to  find  that  woman." 
"  She  has  the  heart  of  a  fiend." 
"  I  don't  know.  You  can't  always  tell  about 
a  woman.  There  never  was  one  since  the  world 
began  that  hadn't  some  goodness  in  her,  if  any- 
body knew  just  how  to  reach  it.  Of  course  that 
was  no  marriage,  but  it's  always  better  to  untie 
a  knot  than  to  cut  it.  I  tried  to  get  Miss 
Crush's  story  out  of  Mr.  Irkins  —  he's  the  only 


334  EAGLE    BLOOD 

one  who  knows  it  —  but  that  blow  on  the  head 
paralyzed  his  memory,  and  he  couldn't  recall 
anything  about  her." 

"  That  explains  why  he  has  never  referred 
to  the  assault  in  his  letters  to  me." 

"  Exactly.  His  mind  is  a  complete  blank  on 
some  things.  He  insists  that  you  saved  his  life, 
but  he  can't  remember  just  how  it  was." 

"  And  you  trust  me  still,  Mr.  Martin  ?  " 

"Trust  you  ?  Why,  my  son,  I'd  trust  you  to 
the  end  of  the  earth.  But  not  a  word  of  this  to  my 
little  girl ;  "  he  put  his  arm  around  Hugh's  shoul- 
ders. "  She  mustn't  know  a  thing  about  it  till  —  " 

"  Till  ? " 

"  Oh,  well,  till  you've  got  your  ring  back." 
And  Mr.  Martin  laughed  heartily. 

"And  then?" 

"  Now  you're  anticipating  matters,  my  boy, 
but  I've  a  good  pair  of  eyes  in  my  head,  and  per- 
haps I'm  able  to  make  a  good  guess  at  what'll 
happen  —  perhaps  not." 

On  their  way  back  to  the  tent  they  arranged  a 
system  for  getting  news  of  the  coming  battle  to 
the  cable  office. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  335 

"  We  must  get  the  story  on  the  wire  before  the 
other  fellows,"  said  Mr.  Martin.  "  News  is  only 
news  when  you're  the  first  to  print  it ;  after  that 
it's  history." 

"Why,  you  look  like  another  man.  What 
.  has  happened  ? "  exclaimed  Helen  when  Hugh 
returned.  "  Your  eyes  are  bright,  and  you  have  a 
color  like  a  young  girl." 

"  I've  been  making  a  confession." 

"  Why  didn't  you  let  me  hear  it  ?  " 

"  My  next  confession  shall  be  to  you." 

She  blushed  deeply  and  became  instantly  ab- 
sorbed in  the  tent  arrangements.  Her  father 
assumed  a  look  of  profound  gravity,  but  there 
was  a  suspicious  twinkle  in  his  eyes. 

A  sound  of  some  one  running  was  followed  by 
the  appearance  of  Lieutenant  Perry,  who  saluted 
and  delivered  himself  excitedly  :  — 

"  The  general  presents  his  compliments  and 
requests  the  presence  of  Lieutenant  Dorsay  at 
once." 

Hugh  returned  the  salute. 

"  It's  a  big  chance,  Dorsay.  The  niggers  are 
trying  to  steal  in  on  our  left  along  the  shore  of 


336  EAGLE    BLOOD 

the  bay,  and  you're  to  take  a  company  of  scouts 
and  capture  the  whole  outfit  in  the  dark.  Jee- 
rusalem,  but  you're  in  luck !  " 

"  All  right,  Perry,"  said  Hugh,  quietly.  "  I'll 
be  there  in  a  minute."  Then,  turning  to  his 
guests,  he  said :  "  I'm  sorry  to  leave  you  so  ab- 
ruptly, but  there's  not  a  moment  to  lose.  I  can't 
even  see  you  on  your  way  back  to  the  city." 

Helen  grew  white  and  her  bosom  heaved,  but 
she  picked  up  his  sword  with  a  smile. 

"  Let  me  buckle  it  on,"  she  said. 

"  I'm  sorry  to  disappoint  you,  but  we  don't 
wear  swords  in  the  field." 

She  looked  at  him  mistily  and  smiled  again. 
Her  lip  quivered. 

"You're  going  into  danger,  Hugh?" 

"  Oh,  a  little  swing  around  in  the  rear  of  the 
natives.  It  probably  won't  amount  to  much." 

Her  eyes  grew  big  with  horror. 

"  But  if — "  The  slim  white  figure  reeled  and 
fell  into  Mr.  Martin's  arms. 

"  Go,  go  !  "  cried  the  old  man.  "  By  God  !  my 
son,  you  ought  to  be  a  good  man  to  deserve  a 
tribute  like  this." 


CHAPTER   XIII 

A  PLUNGE  in  the  salt  water  of  the  bay  and  a 
frugal  breakfast  eaten  with  his  tired  scouts  re- 
vived Hugh  after  his  night  pursuit  of  the  elusive 
bands  of  natives  and  a  dreamless  sleep  on  the 
floor  of  a  native  hut. 

Already  long  lines  of  troops  were  forming  in 
the  early  light  across  the  fields  and  gardens  ly- 
ing between  the  scattered  houses.  The  general 
and  his  staff  were  seated  on  the  edge  of  the  dusty 
road  to  Caloocan,  beside  a  battery  of  artillery. 
As  Hugh  strolled  into  the  highway,  he  could 
hear  the  general  speaking  sharply  to  one  of 
his  aids. 

"  No,  I  can't  permit  it,"  he  said.  "  It's  too 
embarrassing.  The  firing  line's  no  place  for  a 
woman.  Every  damned  female  in  Manila  seems 
to  want  to  see  the  fight.  As  if  we  haven't  trouble 
enough  on  our  hands  without  having  petticoats  in 
the  way  !  Tell  her  I  won't  have  it ;  no,  sir,  I  — 

337 


338  EAGLE    BLOOD 

won't  have  it !  Ah,  good  morning,  Lieutenant 
Dorsay.  That  was  great  work  last  night.  Fine, 
sir,  fine  —  way,  way  up." 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  I'm  sorry  I  lost  two  of  my 
men." 

"  Well,  well,"  said  the  general,  cheerfully, 
"  you  must  avenge  them  to-day." 

The  aid  whispered  in  the  general's  ear,  whereat 
the  officer  grew  red  with  anger. 

"  Not  another  word,  sir,"  he  roared.  "  If  I 
catch  her  on  the  line  to-day  I'll  —  "  he  clenched 
his  fist  and  struck  his  knee.  "  What  do  you 
think,  Dorsay  ?  Here's  a  woman  who's  been 
pestering  me  for  leave  to  serve  as  a  nurse  on 
the  firing  line ;  won't  take  no  for  an  answer. 
It's  simply  hell."  And  he  mopped  his  perspir- 
ing face. 

"  Who  is  she  ?  "  asked  Hugh. 

"  God  only  knows.  Here,  captain,  order  those 
wagons  out  of  the  road  ;  dammit !  man,  can't  you 
see  there's  no  room  for  the  guns  to  pass  ?  " — 
and  turning  to  Hugh  again  —  "  She's  a  volunteer 
nurse,  an  American,  I  think,  who  has  done  some 
brave  work;  but  she  will  insist  —  " 


EAGLE    BLOOD 


339 


"  Not  Miss  Agnes  ?  " 

"  That's  the  woman  —  pock-marked,  lean  as 
a  plank  —  most  mysterious  creature.  Everybody 
seems  to  know  her,  but  nobody  knows  who  she 
is." 

"  I  think  I  know  something  of  her,"  said  Hugh, 
guardedly.  "  I  should  like  to  take  your  message 
to  her." 

"  What !  you  too  ?  I  didn't  think  it  of  you, 
lieutenant." 

"  I've  been  trying  to  find  her  for  a  week." 

"  No,"  said  the  general,  turning  to  his  aid 
again,  "  tell  her  she  must  keep  away  from  the 
line  until  the  end  of  the  action.  Then  she  can 
report  to  the  surgeons  and  pitch  in.  I'm  sorry, 
Dorsay,  but  I  can't  spare  you  just  now.  You 
must  move  your  men  into  position  at  once. 
That  swampy  ground  on  the  extreme  left  is 
just  the  place  for  your  scouts.  The  tall  grass 
will  be  full  of  nigger  sharp-shooters." 

After  a  few  words  of  instruction  from  the 
general,  Hugh  returned  to  his  scouts.  Every- 
where squads  of  men  in  khaki  moved  toward 
their  places.  The  brown  lines  of  fighters  be- 


340  EAGLE    BLOOD 

came  more  solid  and  rigid.  Mounted  messen- 
gers moved  busily  between  the  general  and  the 
line  officers.  The  agile  signal-service  men  were 
stringing  telegraph  wires  from  tree  to  tree,  and 
a  uniformed  operator  on  the  roadside  was  peace 
fully  ticking  off  messages  to  the  military  gov- 
ernor's palace.  In  the  corner  of  a  meadow  a. 
grave-faced  surgeon  was  drilling  two  Chinamen 
in  the  science  of  carrying  a  dead  man  in  a  litter, 
—  the  corpse  being  for  the  time  represented  by  a 
laughing  artilleryman,  —  and  cursed  them  heartily 
for  their  awkwardness.  A  hungry  cavalryman 
stealthily  pursued  an  emaciated  chicken,  follow- 
ing the  unwilling  fowl  beyond  the  trenches  until 
a  patter  of  bullets  from  the  enemy's  sharp-shooters 
compelled  him  to  relinquish  the  chase. 

Hugh  was  hailed  with  enthusiasm  as  he  moved 
through  the  camp,  for  the  young  Englishman  was 
already  a  hero  to  the  private  soldiers,  and  his 
graceful  manners  and  frank  character  made  him 
a  favorite  with  the  officers.  He  nodded  in  a 
friendly  way  to  his  old  comrades  in  the  ranks. 

"  Hold  on,  lieutenant,"  cried  a  panting  voice 
behind  him. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  341 

Hugh  turned  and  saw  the  general's  aid  run- 
ning toward  him. 

"  I  heard  what  you  said  over  there,"  he  ex- 
claimed, as  he  reached  Hugh,  "  and  if  you'd  like 
to  send  a  message  to  Miss  Agnes,  I'd  be  glad  to 
oblige  you." 

"  Thank  you.     Where  is  she  ?  " 

"  In  a  native  house  on  the  road,  about  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  back." 

"  Tell  her  that  I  want  to  see  her  as  soon  as  the 
fight's  over.  She'll  find  me  at  headquarters  or 
with  my  men." 

"  Is  that  all  ?  " 

"  Yes,  that's  all ;  and  yet,  I  wonder  if  any  one 
is  going  into  the  city  now." 

"  I'll  be  sending  a  messenger  with  despatches  in 
a  few  minutes.  Anything  I  can  do  for  you  ?  " 

"  I  wish  you'd  get  word  to  Mr.  Martin,  at  the 
Hotel  Oriente,  that  I  want  him  to  come  out  to 
me  as  soon  as  he  can.  It's  tremendously  im- 
portant." 

"  Anything  more  ?  " 

"  Do  you  suppose  I  could  get  a  few  words 
through  on  the  field  wire  ? " 


342  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  The  general  is  pretty  strict  about  private 
messages  on  the  military  telegraph,  but  I  guess 
I  can  manage  it." 

"  It's  awfully  good  of  you." 

Hugh  drew  a  small  pad  of  paper  from  his 
breast  and  wrote  his  message  :  — 

"  Robert  Martin,  Hotel  Oriente,  Manila  : 
"  Miss  Grush  is  out  here.     Come. 

"  HUGH  DORSAY.' 

An  hour  later  the  cannon  bellowed,  the  bugles 
rang  shrilly,  and  the  American  line  swept  forward, 
with  Hugh  and  his  scouts  dashing  through  the 
sour  mud  and  razor-edged  grass  on  the  ditchy 
shore  of  the  bay.  The  little  brown  men  fought 
fiercely,  but  they  drew  back  slowly  before  the  ter- 
rific onset,  while  the  lead-colored  warships,  steam- 
ing in  the  bay,  raked  their  lines  with  bursting 
shells. 

The  thunder  of  the  fight  was  music  to  Hugh. 
A  thousand  voices  seemed  to  call  to  him  from  the 
air,  as  the  storm  of  death  swept  around  him.  The 
blood  of  his  furious  ancestors  turned  to  flame  in 
his  veins,  and  he  bounded  forward  at  the  head  of 


EAGLE    BLOOD  343 

his  men  with  short,  sharp  cries  of  savage  pleasure, 
his  tall,  lithe  figure  and  aristocratic  face  stirring 
the  scouts  to  a  frenzy  of  enthusiasm.  The  vol- 
leying roar  of  the  battle  grew  louder,  and  the 
explosion  of  shells  shook  the  earth.  The  air 
vibrated  with  the  tense  humming  of  bullets. 
Once  more  the  smoke  of  burning  dwellings  black- 
ened the  fair  sky,  and  all  the  bloody  horrors  of 
war  stained  the  rice  fields  and  trampled  gardens. 

His  heart  swelled  with  a  sudden  accession  of 
power,  and  a 'great  light  seemed  to  be  shining 
within  him,  now  fiercely  white,  now  burning  red. 
Ah  !  his  crusading  forefathers  had  gloriously  con- 
fronted heathen  steel  and  coats  of  mail,  but  they 
had  never  faced  a  hidden  enemy  using  smokeless 
powder !  He  felt  that  he  could  trample  the 
world  beneath  his  feet,  and  he  knew  that  some- 
thing had  taken  place  in  his  soul  —  he  could 
never  again  know  weakness. 

There  were  hidden  barricades  in  the  foul 
mire,  ditches  filled  with  dusky  riflemen,  bands 
of  sharp-shooters  crouching  in  the  dense,  high 
grass ;  fierce  swarms  of  bolo-men,  slashing  and 
stabbing  even  in  their  death  agonies.  He  saw 


344  EAGLE    BLOOD 

dead  men  staring  up  hideously  in  the  weeds, 
and  he  heard  man  call  to  man  along  the  line, 
the  rack-racking  of  the  rifles,  the  bellowing  of 
the  batteries,  the  clear,  high  voice  of  the 
bugles,  the  hoarse  cheering  of  the  advancing 
soldiery  —  and  he  understood  that  he  had  risen 
out  of  centuries  of  impotency,  and  was  kin  to 
the  knights  who  founded  his  line. 

And  when  the  struggle  was  over,  when  the 
pluck  and  brawn  of  the  American  troops  had 
swept  back  the  beaten  regiments  of  the  Filipino 
Republic,  and  the  stars  and  stripes  floated 
tranquilly  above  the  battle-scarred  Caloocan 
church  —  a  telegraph  instrument  rattling  on  the 
ancient  altar  and  a  row  of  saddles  on  the  chancel- 
rail  —  the  roll-call  of  the  scouts  showed  that 
Hugh  was  missing. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon.  A  careful  search 
of  the  battle-field  failed  to  discover  any  trace 
of  the  lost  lieutenant.  No  one  had  seen  him 
fall  in  the  fight,  and  it  seemed  to  be  incredible 
that  a  man  so  strong  and  resolute  could  be  taken 
prisoner  and  carried  off  by  a  flying  enemy. 
There  was  great  excitement  at  headquarters 


EAGLE    BLOOD  345 

when  the  scouts  reported  that  Hugh  could  not 
be  found.  The  general  stormed  and  swore. 
New  search-parties  were  ordered  out.  The 
military  governor,  on  learning  the  facts,  directed 
that,  if  the  body  were  not  discovered  within 
a  reasonable  time,  an  officer  with  a  flag  of  truce 
should  go  to  the  enemy's  line  and  ask  whether 
Lieutenant  Dorsay  were  among  the  prisoners. 

For  hours  Helen  and  her  father  —  who  had 
reached  the  front  early  in  the  day  —  hurried 
from  officer  to  officer  in  search  of  news  of  the 
missing  man.  The  old  journalist  grew  haggard 
with  anxiety,  as  he  watched  his  daughter's  blood- 
less face  and  hollow  eyes.  The  officers  shook 
their  heads  and  turned  away. 

Then  she  went  out  into  the  swampy  grass 
and  wandered  about,  with  a  wild  look  in  her 
white  countenance,  calling  his  name  and  listening 
to  the  echo  of  her  own  voice.  Mr.  Martin 
lost  trace  of  her  and  waited  in  the  road  for  her 
return.  She  roamed  over  the  track  beaten  in 
the  quaggy  ground  by  the  charging  scouts, 
examining  the  shallow  creeks,  peering  under  the 
bushes  and  beating  aside  the  sharp  grass,  until 


.346  EAGLE    BLOOD 

her  little  hands  bled  and  her  filmy  white  dress 
was  ragged.  Her  feet  and  ankles  were  stung 
and  torn  by  hidden  thorns. 

At  the  edge  of  a  scummy  ditch  she  stumbled 
on  a  native  corpse,  gory  and  ghastly,  the  grin- 
ning mouth  showing  wolfish  teeth,  the  eyes 
glaring,  and  the  dead  hands  clutching  at  the 
air.  Just  beyond  was  the  body  of  an  Ameri- 
can, face  down,  with  a  bolo  sticking  in  the  back. 
The  marsh  was  strewn  with  empty  cartridge 
shells.  Here  and  there  were  canteens,  bayo- 
nets, slouch  hats,  rifles,  bolos,  and  other  accou- 
trements dropped  or  thrown  away  in  the  fury 
of  the  fight. 

Overhead  the  red  and  yellow  butterflies  sailed 
gayly  to  and  fro,  and  the  sunbirds  flashed  their 
iridescent  beauty  in  the  air.  Still  higher  up, 
raw-necked  vultures  wheeled  heavily  against  the 
blue  sky. 

Suddenly  she  came  upon  the  figure  of  a 
woman  in  black  stooping  in  the  grass  and  drag- 
ging something.  Moving  closer,  she  saw  that 
it  was  the  body  of  a  man  in  uniform.  She 
recognized  Hugh's  yellow  hair  and  pale  face. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  347 

With  a  scream  she  bounded  forward  and 
knelt  beside  him.  He  was  alive  but  uncon- 
scious. The  breast  of  his  jacket  was  stained 
with  blood.  Looking  up,  she  saw  Miss  Crush's 
bony  face.  The  cheeks  were  pitted  and  color- 
less. The  dark  eyes  blazed  with  passion.  A 
green  crystal  heart  hung  from  her  scrawny  neck, 
and  a  brass  crucifix  swung  at  her  belt. 

"  You ! "  cried  Helen,  starting  back  with 
an  instinct  of  fear. 

"Yes,"  hissed  the  thin  lips.  "Who  has  a 
better  right  than  I  ?  " 

For  an  instant  the  two  looked  into  each 
other's  eyes. 

"  He's  dying,"  moaned  Helen. 

Miss  Grush's  face  changed  to  a  look  of  cun- 
ning, and  the  anger  left  her  voice. 

"  I  found  him  in  the  bushes,"  she  purred, 
with  a  catlike  motion  of  her  head.  "  He's 
shot  through  the  breast,  but  he'll  live.  You, 
you "  —  she  glanced  sidewise  at  Helen,  and 
her  voice  dropped  to  a  drowsy  whisper  —  "you 
love  him  ? " 

A  look  of  unutterable    affection  was   Helen's 


348  EAGLE    BLOOD 

only  answer.  She  leaned  over  the  prostrate 
figure  and  kissed  the  earth-stained  brow. 

"  How  dare  you  ?  "  The  dark  face  flushed 
with  hate,  and  the  black  eyes  glittered  like  a 
snake's. 

"  Hugh !  Hugh !  speak  to  me,"  wailed 
Helen,  stroking  his  face. 

With  a  shriek  of  rage  Miss  Crush  thrust 
her  back.  Helen  jumped  to  her  feet  and  faced 
the  adventuress.  She  looked  like  a  young 
goddess  as  she  stood  before  her  assailant,  her 
brown  eyes  shining  with  love  and  courage. 

"  Criminal !  "  she  cried.  "  You  were  his 
evil  spirit,  and  you  shall  not  touch  him  again." 

In  a  burst  of  fury  Miss  Grush  leaped  upon 
her  rival  and  clutched  the  slender  round  throat 
with  her  lean  hands.  HeMen  fought  with  all 
her  strength.  Love  filled  her  young  body 
with  power,  and  she  struggled  desperately. 

The  bony  hands  relaxed  their  grip,  and  Miss 
Grush  began  to  weep. 

"  I  was  mad,  mad  !  "  she  whined.  "  Forgive 
me,  Helen,  for  God's  sake.  The  whole  world's 
against  me.  I've  been  hunted  like  a  wild  beast, 


EAGLE    BLOOD  349 

and  now,  now,  to  find  him  here  —  to  see  his 
blood —  I  don't  know  what  I'm  doing.  Have 
pity  on  me  !  " 

She  covered  her  face  with  her  hands. 

"  I'm  sorry,"  faltered  Helen,  her  eyes  filling 
with  tears  in  spite  of  the  jealousy  that  flamed  in 
her  breast.  "  But  "  —  she  threw  herself  on  her 
knees  beside  Hugh  —  "  we  must  save  him.  See, 
see  !  he  is  breathing." 

"  Leave  him  to  me,"  said  Miss  Crush,  in  her 
softest  tone.  "  I'm  a  trained  nurse.  Go,  quick  ! 
get  the  ambulance.  Every  minute  counts." 

Helen  glanced  at  the  fallen  officer  and  hesi- 
tated. A  prolonged  groan  issued  from  Hugh's 
lips.  With  a  shudder  she  sped  away  through 
the  tangled  grass  toward  the  road.  Suddenly  she 
stopped  and  listened.  What  was  it  ?  A  sound 
of  derisive  laughter  was  in  the  air.  In  a  few 
minutes  the  slim,  graceful  figure  was  flying 
breathlessly  along  the  rough  road,  the  brown 
hair  fluttering  loose  and  the  dimpled  cheeks  rosy 
with  excitement. 

"  Why,  sis,  what's  happened  ?  Where  have 
you  been  ?  Look  at  your  dress  and  your  feet !  " 


350  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  He's  alive,  thank  God,  daddy." 

"What?" 

"  Shot  through  the  breast.  Oh,  daddy,  daddy  !  " 
She  threw  herself  into  the  old  man's  arms  like  a 
child. 

"  There,  there !  "  he  crooned,  patting  her  head. 
"  It'll  all  come  out  right.  Where  is  he  ?  " 

"  Out  in  the  swamp  with  Miss  Crush."' 

"  That  woman  ?  " 

"  She  found  him  in  the  bushes.  Quick,  daddy, 
we  must  get  an  ambulance.  She'll  take  care  of 
him  till  we  get  help." 

"  Ay,  she's  a  nurse,  —  that's  so,"  muttered  Mr. 
Martin.  Then,  seeing  the  marks  of  Miss 
Grush's  fingers  on  her  white  throat,  his  lip  quiv- 
ered. "  What's  that  ?  —  you're  hurt." 

"  I  caught  my  neck  against  a  branch,"  she 
murmured,  shrinking  from  a  confession  of  the 
scene  that  provoked  the  assault. 

"  Heaven  keep  you  from  sorrow,  my  little 
girl,"  he  said,  with  brimming  eyes.  "  We'll  save 
him  from  more  than  that  bullet  hole,  please  God  ! 
Keep  a  steady  heart,  for  you'll  need  it.  Come, 
hold  my  hand  tight,  sis." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  351 

It  took  but  a  few  minutes  to  reach  headquar- 
ters, and  great  was  the  joy  of  Hugh's  comrades 
on  learning  that  he  was  alive.  A  surgeon  started 
out  at  once  with  an  ambulance  and  a  squad  of 
litter-bearers,  Helen  and  her  father  riding  with 
them  by  permission  of  the  general. 

When  they  found  the  wounded  man,  it  was 
twilight  and  the  ambulance-men  had  to  light 
their  lanterns  to  avoid  the  treacherous  mud-holes. 
Miss  Grush  had  removed  his  jacket  and  bandaged 
the  wound.  As  they  came  upon  her,  she  was 
crouching  in  the  grass  and  watching  Hugh's  wan 
face  like  some  great  cat. 

The  stricken  soldier  was  placed  on  a  litter  and 
carried  to  the  road.  Helen  walked  beside  him,, 
Mr.  Martin  and  Miss  Grush  followed.  The  old 
man  eyed  the  adventuress  wrathfully  and  tried  to 
avoid  her  as  they  trudged  through  the  bog,  but 
she  kept  step  with  him  in  the  waning  light. 

"  Don't  you  know  me,  Mr.  Martin  ? "  she  said 
at  last,  with  a  loud  sigh. 

"  Know  you  ?  "  There  was  anger  and  withering 
contempt  in  his  tone.  "  I  should  say  I  do.  So 
does  he,"  and  he  pointed  toward  the  swaying  litter. 


352  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Poor  Hugh  !  "  —  she  evaded  the  veteran's 
mordant  challenge  —  "he'll  be  surprised  when 
he  knows  whose  hands  raised  him  from  death." 

Mr.   Martin's  answer  was  an  indignant  snort. 

"It  isn't  the  first  time  I've  nursed  him,  and" 

—  the  threat  in  her  soft  voice  was  unmistakable 

—  "  it  won't  be  the  last." 

"  Woman,  have  you  no  fear  of  God  or  man  ? " 
he  cried  sternly.  "  You  would  have  dragged 
him  to  hell  but  for  — " 

"  But  for  what  ?  You  seem  to  know  a  good 
deal  about  my  affairs,  Mr.  Martin ;  and  since 
you  know  so  much,  you  are  certainly  aware 
that  I  have  rights  —  " 

"  Which  you  dare  not  claim.  You  forget  that 
you're  not  dealing  with  an  inexperienced  boy. 
He's  an  officer  now  and  has  authority  and  in- 
fluence. By  heaven !  he'll  make  you  rue  the 
day  you  put  yourself  in  his  power." 

"  You're  unmanly  to  take  advantage  of  a  help- 
less woman,"  she  murmured,  with  sudden  meek- 
ness. "Has  Mr.  Irkins  —  " 

"  It's  a  wonder  God  doesn't  wither  the  tongue 
in  your  head,"  he  interrupted  harshly.  "  The 


EAGLE    BLOOD  353 

blow  you  struck  paralyzed  your  victim,  and  he 
can't  even  remember  your  name." 

Miss  Grush  halted  and  seized  him  by  the  arm. 

"  Do  you  mean  that  ? "  she  screamed. 

"  From  that  day  to  this  all  memory  of  you 
has  disappeared." 

"  But  it  will  return  some  day  ?  "  Her  voice 
trembled,  and  she  gripped  him  until  he  roughly 
threw  her  off.  "  He  will  remember  in  time  ?  " 

"The  doctors  say  he'll  never  recover  his 
memory."  Then,  seeing  the  swift  flash  of  tri- 
umph in  her  livid  face  —  "  damn  you  !  I  believe 
you're  glad  of  it." 

The  drooping  figure  in  black  straightened  up, 
and  the  thin  face  was  held  high.  Mr.  Martin's 
unconscious  revelation  of  the  fact  that  all  -  danger 
of  her  first  marriage  being  known  was  past, 
seemed  to  electrify  her.  Mr.  Irkins  knew  of 
her  convict  husband,  but  if  his  mind  were  sealed 
against  the  past,  he  could  not  bear  witness,  and 
she  was  free  to  pursue  her  ambition. 

"  Why  are  you  so  bitter  ? "  she  pleaded,  with 
a  wheedling  change  of  manner.  "  Mr.  Irkins 
insulted  me  and  I  lost  my  temper.  Have  I 


354  EAGLE    BLOOD 

not  suffered  enough  for  that  one  mad  blow? 
Do  you  blame  me  because  in  my  loneliness  and 
misery  I  have  sought  my  husband  ?  " 

"  He's  no  more  your  husband  than  I   am." 

The  litter-bearers  had  reached  the  road,  and 
Helen  bent  tenderly  over  Hugh  as  he  was  lifted 
into  the  ambulance.  Miss  Grush  uttered  an 
exclamation  of  anger. 

"  I  don't  want  to  be  hard  at  a  moment  like 
this,"  said  Mr.  Martin,  as  he  watched  the  cruel 
look  in  the  adventuress's  face  and  marked  her 
clenched  hands ;  "  but  if  you  utter  one  word 
of  what  you've  said  to  me,  I'll  demand  your 
arrest  as  a  fugitive  from  justice." 

She  came  closer  to  him  and  stared.  His  eyes 
were  hard  and  his  features  set. 

"  You  want  to  save  her  feelings  ? "  She 
swayed  her  head  with  a  curious  feline  move- 
ment and  dropped  her  voice  to  a  thin  whisper, 
as  she  pointed  to  the  sprite-like  girl  who  fanned 
the  wounded  man's  face. 

He  made  no  answer,  but  she  caught  the  fleet- 
ing expression  of  fear  in  his  gray  eyes  and  smiled 
faintly. 

"  I'll  wait,"  she  said. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

HUGH  recovered  from  his  wound,  6ut  his 
career  as  a  soldier  was  ended.  The  bullet  had 
destroyed  an  important  muscle,  and  the  surgeons 
declared  that  the  injury  would  permanently  unfit 
him  for  military  service.  It  was  also  necessary 
that  he  should  seek  a  northern  climate  if  he 
would  regain  his  strength.  Declining  the  pro- 
posed retirement  on  half-pay,  he  resigned  his 
commission. 

The  first  dreary  days  of  suffering  in  the  hos- 
pital were  brightened  by  Helen's  visits,  and  as  he 
became  stronger,  she  was  allowed  to  sit  for  hours 
at  a  time  by  his  little  iron  cot.  Her  gentle  pres- 
ence refreshed  and  soothed  him  in  the  long, 
stagnant  days.  She  decked  his  table  with  sweet- 
smelling  flowers  and  fanned  him  in  the  breathless 
midday  stretches.  She  brought  him  mangosteens 
from  Singapore,  strawberries  from  Hong  Kong, 
and  delicate  persimmons  from  Japan.  She  read 

355 


356  EAGLE    BLOOD 

the  newspapers  to  him,  and  by  a  hundred  arts 
beguiled  his  mind.  And  he  watched  her  day  by 
day,  and  thanked  God  that  she  was  so  beautiful 
and  good. 

Sometimes  Captain  Remington,  who  was  now 
convalescent,  would  come  to  his  bedside  and  sit 
there  with  Helen,  and  Hugh  would  have  thrills 
of  half-conscious  jealousy,  as  he  marked  the  fair 
young  patriot's  open  admiration  for  the  handsome 
officer.  The  captain  seized  every  opportunity  to 
be  in  her  company,  and  he  fell  into  the  habit  of 
bringing  delicacies  to  Hugh  for  the  sake  of  seeing 
her.  And  when  he  had  a  slight  relapse,  and 
Helen  paid  him  a  visit,  Hugh  felt  sure  that  he 
had  taken  to  his  bed  simply  for  the  purpose  of 
luring  her  tender  ministrations  to  himself.  But 
Hugh's  bitterest  pangs  were  when  he  heard  her 
praise  the  captain  as  a  gallant  and  loyal  American, 
for  then  he  dimly  realized  his  own  nationality  as  a 
burden. 

There  was  no  want  of  tender  solicitude  and 
sympathy  on  her  part,  but  a  subtle  something 
hung  between  them  like  a  veil.  Mr.  Martin  had 
bluntly  informed  him  of  his  conversation  with 


EAGLE    BLOOD  357 

Miss  Grush  and  had  admitted  that  the  situation 
was  more  complicated  than  he  had  supposed.  It 
was  plain  that  the  old  man  was  depressed  by  the 
mysterious  threat  of  the  adventuress.  Hugh 
suspected  that  Helen's  smiling  evasions,  by  which 
she  baffled  every  attempt  at  too  intimate  conver- 
sation, were  due  to  her  father's  careful  attitude. 

All  he  could  learn  of  Miss  Grush  was  that  she 
had  called  at  the  hospital  several  times  to  ask 
about  his  health,  and  that  she  had  been  seen  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  firing  line  occasionally. 
Her  abode  was  unknown. 

One  evening  as  he  lay  alone,  a  rumor  spread 
from  bed  to  bed  that  Miss  Agnes  was  visiting  the 
wards.  The  fame  of  the  heroic  nurse  had  grown, 
and  she  was  known  to  all.  The  strange  atmos- 
phere of  secrecy  which  surrounded  her  identity 
and  movements,  and  the  mystic  powers  which  she 
was  said  to  possess,  intensified  the  interest  of  the 
soldiers  in  her  personality.  She  was  known  to 
have  hypnotized  a  wounded  teamster  before  a 
serious  surgical  operation,  and  there  were  some 
who  claimed  that  she  had  restored  a  demented 
Dominican  nun  to  her  right  mind  by  simply 


358  EAGLE    BLOOD 

stroking  her  head  and  talking  to  her.  So  there 
was  a  mild  fever  of  excitement  among  the  patients, 
when  the  presence  of  the  famous  Miss  Agnes  was 
announced. 

When  the  door  at  the  end  of  the  ward 
opened,  and  a  thin  figure  in  black  glided  in, 
Hugh  tingled  with  expectant  emotion.  He 
felt  that  she  had  come  to  see  him,  and  he 
braced  himself  for  the  meeting.  She  wavered 
at  the  door  for  a  moment,  and  her  black  eyes 
took  a  swift  survey  of  the  scene.  As  her  glance 
met  his  she  moved  languidly  toward  him,  and, 
kneeling  at  the  foot  of  his  bed,  bowed  her  head 
as  if  in  prayer.  He  could  see  the  brazen  cru- 
cifix and  rosary  in  her  hand,  and  he  noticed 
the  trembling  of  her  meagre  shoulders. 

Then  she  raised  her  head  and  looked  at 
him.  Her  features  were  wasted  and  ashen. 
The  marks  left  by  smallpox  gave  a  grisly 
cast  to  her  countenance.  The  mouth  was 
straight  and  thin  and  hard,  and  the  fine  nostrils 
were  distended.  It  was  like  a  dead  face ;  a 
stray  lock  of  black  hair  lying  against  the  hollow 
temple  heightened  the  ghastly  effect.  Yet  the 


EAGLE    BLOOD  359 

eyes  were  alive.  They  seemed  to  burn  and 
flash  as  they  sought  his. 

"  Well  ?  "  he  said  coldly. 

"  I  am  lonely,"  she  whispered  in  the  purr- 
ing tone  he  remembered  so  well. 

"  Why  have  you  come  here  ?  " 

"  Because  you  are  my  husband.  I  followed 
you  half  around  the  world  to  be  near  you.  I 
followed  you  till  you  fell." 

The  black  eyes  dilated.  He  felt  her  hand 
seeking  his  as  she  moved  nearer  on  her  knees, 
and  he  knew  that  she  was  concentrating  her 
power  in  an  effort  to  seize  control  of  his  mind 
again. 

"  Get  up,"  he  said.  cc  You  are  attracting 
attention  and  making  yourself  ridiculous." 

She  rose  and  sat  beside  him  without  with- 
drawing her  glance.  The  old  gypsy  look  was 
in  her  face.  He  had  a  faint  experience  of  the 
drowsy  thrill  that  had  once  held  his  brain  and 
will  in  thrall.  She  murmured  softly,  and  tried 
to  lay  her  hand  upon  his  brow,  but  he  drew 
away  and  frowned. 

"  No  more  of  that,"  he  said  sharply.     "  I'm 


360  EAGLE    BLOOD 

too  tough  to  be  hypnotized  again.  You  suc- 
ceeded once  because  I  was  fool  enough  to  trust 
you."  Then,  seeing  the  expression  of  saintly 
indignation  with  which  she  rolled  her  eyes 
upward,  he  laughed.  "  By  thunder !  if  you 
weren't  as  deadly  as  poison,  I  could  admire 
you.  You're  a  wonder." 

"  No,  no,"  she  whispered  passionately. 
"  That's  all  done  with.  I've  had  my  lesson. 
There  was  a  time  when  the  world  seemed  to 
be  full  of  mysteries,  when  I  lived  day  and  night 
in  the  company  of  invisible  spirits.  The  souls 
of  all  the  millions  who  had  died  were  around 
me  and  above  me,  and  I  sought  to  draw  power 
from  them.  You  never  knew  me  as  I  really 
was  in  those  days  when  we  were  companions 
in  New  York.  I  dared  to  seek  the  inmost 
secrets  of  God  Himself,  to  wrest  authority  from 
heaven  or  hell  that  I  might  have  my  way  in 
the  world.  I  knelt  before  every  altar,  damned 
or  blessed.  The  sight  of  blood  on  that  terri- 
ble day  "  —  she  covered  her  face  with  her  hands 
— "  awoke  me  from  moral  death.  I  fled  from 
justice,  and  I  fled  to  our  dear  Lord  Christ.': 


EAGLE    BLOOD  361 

She  raised  the  crucifix  from  her  belt  and 
pressed  it  to  her  lips. 

"  Don't  blaspheme,"  said  Hugh,  unmoved. 
"  Only  stupid  people  do  that,  and  I've  never 
thought  you  stupid." 

A  shadow  of  admiration  swept  her  thin  face 
and  left  it  tense  and  hard.  Hugh  winced  as 
he  raised  himself  on  the  pillow  with  an  effort. 
The  pain  of  the  movement  drove  the  blood 
from  his  face. 

"  Let  me  help  you,"  she  purred,  half  rising 
from  her  seat. 

"  Don't  touch  me,  you  devil !  "  he  cried  ;  and 
then,  with  a  smile,  he  added,  "  That  was  bad 
form,  wasn't  it  ?  " 

"Lord  Delaunay  —  " 

"  Drop  that !  Do  you  hear  ?  "  His  face 
was  red  with  anger,  and  his  blue  eyes  flashed. 
"  Repeat  that  name  and  I'll  call  the  nurse  and 
have  you —  Well,"  —  his  voice  dropped  —  "I 
leave  the  rest  to  your  imagination." 

The  meekness  vanished  from  her  face  and  was 
succeeded  by  a  mocking  sneer. 

"  Your  manners  haven't  improved,"  she  said. 


362  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  I  see  that  you  are  still  wearing  my  ring." 

"  I  shall  wear  it  till  I  die." 

"  Isn't  it  about  time  to  end  this  farce  ?  What 
have  you  to  gain  by  it  ? " 

She  leaned  toward  him  a  countenance  of  fury. 

"  You  shall  not  cast  me  off,"  she  snarled. 
"  You  may  send  me  to  prison,  but  I  shall  still 
remain  your  lawful  wife." 

"  And  you  came  here  to  tell  me  this  ?  " 

"  I  came  to  tell  you  that  you  cannot  marry 
Helen  Martin  while  I  am  alive.  You  needn't 
threaten  me ;  I  know  the  worst  you  can  do,  and 
I  am  prepared  for  it." 

"  What  a  magnificent  figure  you'd  cut  in  hell, 
Miss  Grush.  You're  certainly  out  of  your  ele- 
ment." 

His  eyes  were  steady  and  his  voice  clear. 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  continued,  "  I've  been 
thinking  out  why  you  came  here  to-day.  It's 
because  you're  losing  your  courage.  There 
never  was  a  criminal  that  wasn't  a  coward  at  the 
bottom.  You  want  to  make  your  peace.  It's 
incredible  that  a  woman  of  your  intelligence 
should  walk  into  a  trap  with  her  eyes  open 


EAGLE    BLOOD  363 

without  having  some  idea  of  the  way  out.  You 
are  a  fugitive  from  justice,  and  I  am,  or  have 
been  until  this  week,  an  officer  in  the  army. 
The  situation,  to  an  imaginative  person  like 
yourself,  needs  no  comment.  Now,  what  do 
you  want  ? " 

"  I  want  you." 

"  I'm  flattered,  but  it's  out  of  the  question. 
Next  ?  " 

She  turned  her  black  eyes  up  until  the  whites 
showed,  and  her  lips  moved  silently. 

"You're  taking  some  sort  of  an  oath,"  he 
said  calmly.  "  I  wouldn't  do  that ;  you'll  have 
to  break  it." 

"  What  do  you  intend  to  do  ? "  she  murmured 
in  a  voice  so  gentle  that  he  was  startled. 

"  Do  ?  I'm  simply  waiting  for  you.  I'm 
waiting  till  you  tire  of  this  miserable  game  and 
openly  confess  the  trick  you  played  on  me  in 
New  York  the  night  you  got  that  ring." 

"  And  do  you  think  anything  can  force  me  to 
do  it  ? " 

"  Well,  I  don't  know."  He  surveyed  her 
gravely.  "  It's  unsafe  to  bet  on  what  you'll  do. 


364  EAGLE    BLOOD 

You're  really  a  wonderful  creature,  Miss  Crush. 
No;  I  wouldn't  hazard  a  guess.  But" — and 
he  flung  the  words  at  her  in  a  burst  of  wrath  — 
"  I'll  give  you  just  four  days  in  which  to  return 
my  ring  and  confess  your  treacherous  crime 
under  oath." 

"And  if  I  refuse  to  allow  you  to  abandon 
your  lawful  wife  ?  " 

"  From  what  the  doctor  says  I  shall  be  strong 
enough  then  to  give  you  my  answer." 

Without  speaking  she  rose  and  glided  away. 
He  saw  her  kneeling  at  another  bed,  with  the 
crucifix  in  her  hand  and  a  nunlike  smile  of  ten- 
der pity  on  her  upraised  face. 

"  That  woman,"  he  remarked  to  the  trim 
nurse  who  came  to  serve  his  medicine,  "  that 
woman  is  a"  —  he  paused  to  select  a  strong 
enough  word  —  "  she's  a  peach." 

"  Indeed,  she's  a  saint  out  of  heaven  if  there 
ever  was  one,"  murmured  the  nurse.  "  It's  hard 
for  persons  like  us  to  understand  such  a  nature." 

"  That's  true,"  he  sighed. 

"  And  here's  Miss  Martin,  bless  her  sweet 
face." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  365 

Helen  came  to  the  bedside,  bringing  the  fresh- 
ness of  the  outside  world  in  her  pink  cheeks  and 
smiling-brown  eyes.  She  seemed  the  very  spirit 
of  health  and  happiness,  and  the  morbid  gloom  of 
the  place  vanished  before  her  springing  step  and 
honest,  blooming  face. 

"You  carry  the  sunshine  with  you,"  he  said,  as 
she  laid  a  handful  of  loose  roses  on  the  table. 

"  Sunshine  ?  I've  just  escaped  a  wetting.  The 
sky  is  as  black  as  ink  and  all  jiggledy-joggledy 
with  lightning.  Look  !  " 

Beyond  the  window  they  could  see  the  white 
lightning  stabbing  through  the  murky  clouds,  and 
a  tremendous  crash  of  thunder  shook  the  air.  A 
powerful  wind  made  the  building  vibrate.  Again 
and  again  the  lightning  smote  the  sky  dazzlingly. 
Then  the  rain  fell  straight  and  heavy.  It  was 
one  of  the  tropical  storms  that  sweep  out  of  the 
sea  without  warning. 

"  Our  boys  in  the  field  will  get  soaked,  poor 
fellows." 

"  Always  thinking  of  others,  Hugh." 

Her  eyes  ranged  the  white  ward,  and  as  she 
saw  Miss  Grush  she  started  violently. 


366  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  That  woman  !     Do  you  see  ?  " 

The  lean  black  figure  came  gliding  between 
the  rows  of  beds  toward  the  door,  with  a 
stealthy,  sinuous  grace,  the  narrow  shoulders 
held  high  and  the  head  bent  low. 

"  Miss  Grush,"  muttered  Hugh,  between  his 
teeth. 

"  Oh,  Hugh,  Hugh,  if  you  only  knew  what  a 
dangerous  woman  she  is."  Helen  shrank  toward 
him  with  a  little  shiver.  "  She  struck  me  the 
night  we  found  you  on  the  field.  I  believe  she 
would  have  killed  me  if  she  could." 

"  My  God  !     I  didn't  know  that." 

As  Miss  Grush  reached  the  door,  she  turned 
slowly  and  looked  at  Helen  with  a  countenance 
diabolic  in  its  malevolence.  A  flash  of  lightning 
shone  for  a  moment  on  the  sinister  face  and  cruel 
eyes,  showing  the  parted  lips  and  clenched  white 
teeth.  A  terrific  peal  of  thunder  —  and  she  was 
gone. 

"  Do  you  know,  Helen,"  said  Hugh,  with  a 
curious  smile,  "  I  can  almost  imagine  I  smell 
brimstone  in  the  air.  That  exit  was  simply  stag- 
gering. It  beats  anything  in  Milton  or  Drury 


EAGLE    BLOOD  367 

Lane.  Don't!  don't!"  —  the  tears  were  shining 
in  her  eyes  —  "I'll  be  on  my  feet  in  four  days, 
and  I  promise  you  she'll  trouble  us  no  more." 


"  ON    BOARD    THE    STEAMSHIP    '  WOON    SUNG,' 
"EN   ROUTE  TO  HONG  KONG. 

"ROBERT   MARTIN,  ESQ.:  — 

"  Dear  Sir :  A  lingering  remembrance  of 
your  former  kindnesses  persuades  me,  in  spite 
of  your  recent  brutality,  to  address  this  letter 
to  you  as  I  leave  the  Philippine  Islands.  Don't 
deceive  yourself.  I  hold  the  proofs  of  my  mar- 
riage, and  I  will  establish  my  rights  in  spite  of 
every  obstacle.  If  you  have  any  regard  for  your 
daughter's  reputation,  you  will  take  her  home 
at  once.  Nothing  but  shame  and  sorrow  can 
come  of  her  association  with  my  husband,  and 
I  warn  you  that  I  shall  spare  no  one  in  my 
effort  to  compel  him  to  recognize  his  lawful  wife. 
What  do  you  know  of  Hugh  Dorsay  ?  What 
do  you  know  of  his  history  or  his  family  ? 
Nothing.  And  yet,  in  a  matter  that  affects 
your  daughter's  honor,  you  have  taken  his  bare 


368  EAGLE    BLOOD 

word  against  the  written  proofs  of  his  marriage. 
Are  you  blind  ?  Can't  you  see  that  after  months 
of  intimate  association  with  me  —  culminating  in 
our  union  —  Mr.  Dorsay  took  advantage  of  my 
unfortunate  blow  and  my  flight  from  the  police 
to  repudiate  me,  because  of  his  mad  infatuation 
for  Miss  Martin  ?  Whatever  my  faults  may 
be  —  and  I'm  not  called  upon  to  account  for 
them  to  you  —  don't  allow  your  prejudices  to 
obscure  facts. 

"  Hastily  yours, 

"  BARBARA  CRUSH." 


"  We're  going  to  leave  for  America  on  the 
next  steamer." 

Hugh  looked  up  from  his  bed  at  Mr.  Martin 
with  an  expression  of  bewilderment. 

"  You're  not  in  earnest  ?  "  he  'gasped. 

The  old  journalist  nodded  his  head  and  looked 
away.  He  made  no  attempt  to  conceal  his 
emotion. 

"  I  cabled  to  Irkins  for  permission  to  go  back 
to  New  York,  and  the  answer  came  an  hour  ago." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  369 

"  What's  happened  ?  I  can  hardly  believe 
my  ears." 

"My  health."  The  old  man  averted  his 
face. 

"  Why,  I  never  saw  you  looking  so  strong 
and  well." 

"I  said  —  my  health." 

"For  God's  sake,  Mr.  Martin,  tell  me  the 
truth.  You're  holding  back  something.  That 
isn't  the  real  reason." 

"  It'll  do  as  well  as  any  other  for  the  present, 
my  son.  Do  you  understand  me  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  do  ;  and  yet  —  "  A  flash  of  intelli- 
gence lit  his  eyes.  "  You've  seen  Miss  Grush  ?  " 

"  She's  gone." 

"  What  ?  "     He  shook  like  a  man  palsied. 

"  Gone  to  Hong  Kong." 

"  You've  heard  from  her  ?  " 

The  venerable  head  nodded  assent. 

"  Mr.  Martin,  have  you  lost  faith  in  me  ?  " 

"No,  my  boy;  when  I  lose  faith  in  you,  I'll 
trust  no  man  alive.  But,  until  this  matter  is 
straightened  out,  I  must  protect  my  little  girl 
from  the  slightest  risk  of  scandal.  It  isn't  that 


370  EAGLE    BLOOD 

I  doubt  you,  Hugh  —  you  ought  to  know  that 
—  but  this  is  a  plain  duty  that  I  can't  shirk. 
For  the  present  we  must  go  away.  Do  you 
understand  now,  my  son  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  do,"  said  Hugh,  closing  his  eyes 
and  sinking  back  on  his  pillow. 


CHAPTER   XV 

THE  fog  that  held  London  in  afternoon  dark- 
ness was  thick  enough  to  permit  the  Earl  of 
Castlehurst  to  take  tea  at  the  front  windows  of 
his  lodgings  in  narrow  Jermyn  Street,  without 
having  to  bear  the  visual  ordeal  of  the  hair- 
dresser's shop  on  the  opposite  side ;  and  al- 
though the  view  of  a  scarlet  sentry  pacing  before 
the  time-blackened  gate  of  St.  James's  Palace  — 
a  cheerful  bit  of  color,  to  be  seen  on  clear  days 
beyond  the  jutting  corner  of  St.  James  Street  — 
was  cut  off,  and  the  squawking  of  the  adjoining 
bootmaker's  parrot  was  a  reminder  of  the  ple- 
beian elements  in  that  region  of  needy  British 
gentlemen  struggling  to  maintain  their  dignity 
in  the  midst  of  obsessing  tradesmen,  still,  there 
was  a  sort  of  privacy  in  the  sooty  haze,  not  unlike 
the  solitude  of  rainy  days  at  Battlecragie  Castle  — 
now,  alas,  the  residence  of  an  upstart  manufacturer. 

The  earl  was  a  sick  man  in  a  sick  neigh  bor- 


372  EAGLE    BLOOD 

hood.  Like  Jermyn  Street,  he  had  seen  nobler 
days,  and,  like  Jermyn  Street,  he  yielded  grudg- 
ingly to  changed  times  and  conditions.  There 
were  traces  of  dingy  grandeur  in  his  three  rooms, 
—  dimly  gilt  chairs  covered  with  well-worn 
brocades ;  quaint  bits  of  old  silver,  bearing  the 
Castlehurst  arms ;  odd  pieces  of  cut  glass ;  a 
seven-branched  candelabra ;  a  few  miniature  por- 
traits set  in  a  honey-colored  Sheraton  cabinet ; 
two  fine  paintings  of  former  masters  of  Battle- 
cragie  Castle,  in  full  armor ;  and  a  huge  chest 
of  carved  black  oak,  studded  with  Gothic  nail- 
heads.  Yet  the  rooms  were  small,  the  carpets 
were  threadbare,  and  there  was  a  disquieting 
suggestion  of  distress  in  the  faded  wall-paper 
and  grimy  white  woodwork.  The  wizened 
butler  who  had  served  the  earl  since  boyhood, 
having  followed  the  broken  nobleman  to  Jer- 
myn Street,  was  to  be  found  in  the  dark  and 
dilapidated  hallway,  clad  in  frayed  livery  and 
seated  in  an  infirm  chair,  as  proud  and  jealous 
of  his  position  as  if  the  smutty  stubble  of  chim- 
ney-pots seen  through  the  little  back  window 
were  the  tree-tops  of  his  master's  ancient  woods. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  373 

There  was  no  lack  of  fine  carriages  at  the 
door  and  distinguished  visitors,  for  the  Castle- 
hurst  blood  was  spread  through  many  counties ; 
but  the  old  earl  fiercely  declined  pity  in  his 
poverty  and  drove  his  callers  away,  sometimes 
with  sneers,  and  sometimes  with  curses.  To- 
ward his  creditors  he  assumed  an  attitude  of 
amused  disdain.  He  never  talked  about  busi- 
ness —  that  was  a  matter  for  solicitors  and  trades- 
men. They  might  see  Mr.  Chadder  and  be 
damned  to  them.  In  reply  to  an  offer  of  finan- 
cial assistance  from  a  grateful  merchant  whom 
he  had  once  befriended,  he  wrote  a  curt  letter 
of  declination,  saying  that  times  had  come  to 
such  a  pass  that  a  gentleman  needed  to  be  mort- 
gaged up  to  the  eyes  to  distinguish  himself  from 
shopkeepers. 

As  the  proud  old  man  sat  by  the  window, 
wrapped  in  a  gray  dressing-gown  and  sipping 
tea  from  a  cup  of  rare  Chinese  porcelain,  his 
fine,  slender  hands  and  clean-cut  face,  puckered 
and  cross-hatched  by  age,  bespoke  the  inbred 
aristocrat.  His  eyes  were  blue  and  cold.  The 
long,  thin,  high-bridged  nose,  the  sharply  up- 


374  EAGLE    BLOOD 

turned  white  mustache,  and  the  heavy  eye- 
brows, bristling  outward,  were  signals  of  an 
irascible  temperament. 

On  this  particular  day  Lord  Castlehurst  was 
in  an  irritable  mood.  Under  the  pressure  of 
sharp  questioning,  Mr.  Chadder  had  confessed 
that  the  earl's  defiant  grandson  and  heir  was 
living  in  the  United  States  under  an  assumed 
name ;  nay,  that  he  was  an  enthusiastic  admirer 
of  the  Americans  and  had  expressed  advanced 
ideas  about  political  and  social  equality.  The 
solicitor  had  loyally  refused  to  give  any  further 
details  about  Hugh,  asserting  that  he  was  bound 
to  silence  by  professional  honor  and  the  instruc- 
tions of  his  young  client. 

The  earl  detested  Americans.  His  one  speech 
in  the  House  of  Lords  had  been  a  bitter  denun- 
ciation of  the  Monroe  Doctrine  as  "  a  piece  of 
insolence  worthy  of  a  nation  of  vulgar  ruffians  "  ; 
and  upon  being  called  to  order  for  his  intem- 
perate language  by  the  Lord  Chancellor,  the 
enraged  peer  had  stalked  out  of  the  chamber, 
never  to  return.  When  Lord  Salisbury  agreed 
to  refer  the  Venezuelan  boundary  question  to 


EAGLE    BLOOD  375 

arbitration  in  order  to  avoid  hostilities  with  the 
United  States,  the  earl  had  the  Prime  Minister's 
portrait  hung  in  the  Battlecragie  stables.  The 
American  captains  of  industry  were  merely  edu- 
cated brigands,  who  would  presently  plunder 
the  world  unless  they  were  destroyed  by  a 
European  tariff  league.  His  furious  hatred  of 
the  United  States  was  increased  by  the  fore- 
closure sale  of  the  South  London  Boot  and 
Shoe  Works  to  an  American  syndicate,  whereby 
the  last  remnant  of  his  once  ample  fortune  — 
not  to  mention  his  grandson's  moiety  —  was 
swept  away. 

The  burst  of  anger  which  followed  Mr.  Chad- 
der's  revelation  had  frightened  the  honest  solic- 
itor, for  the  earl  had  had  a  slight  stroke  of 
paralysis  only  a  month  before.  His  lordship 
raved  against  Hugh  for  an  hour  and  then  fell 
into  a  senile  sleep,  from  which  he  awoke  to 
take  tea  at  his  front  window  and  contemplate 
the  all-pervading  fog. 

Having  served  his  irate  master  with  tea  and 
a  warmed-over  muffin,  the  trusty  butler  had 
resumed  his  chair  in  the  hallway,  with  a  com- 


376  EAGLE    BLOOD 

fortable  yawn,  when  the  slender  figure  of  a 
strange  woman  moved  noiselessly  up  the  narrow 
stairway  and  stood  before  him. 

"  You've  mistook,  ma'am,"  he  said,  with  a 
majestic  downward  wave  of  the  hand.  "  The 
apartments  to  let  is  downstairs  —  first  floor, 
front;  and  gentlemen  only." 

The  visitor  was  dressed  in  black  and  wore  a 
thick  veil.  She  carried  a  small  leather  bag  in 
her  gloved  hand.  A  green  crystal  heart  hung 
from  her  neck  on  a  threadlike  gold  chain. 

"  I  wish  to  see  Lord  Castlehurst."  Her  voice 
was  low  and  the  accent  betrayed  the  American. 
Instantly  the  butler  was  on  his  feet. 

"'Is   lordship  isn't  receivin',  ma'am." 

"  But  I  must  see  him."  There  was  something 
insinuating  in  the  tone.  "  Tell  him  a  lady  wishes 
to  see  him." 

"  It  can't  be  done,  ma'am,"  said  the  butler, 
haughtily.  "  'E  wouldn't  receive  the  Prince  of 
Wales  without  a  written  happointment;  no,  nor 
the  Severing  'erself,  'e's  that  partic'ler." 

She  hesitated  a  moment,  and  he  could  feel  her 
eyes  looking  at  him  through  the  dense  veil. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  377 

"  Tell  him  the  Viscountess  Delaunay  desires 
to  see  him." 

The  man's  jaw  dropped  and  his  eyes  goggled. 

"  Very  well,  my  lady,"  he  gasped,  bowing 
almost  double  and  retreating  into  the  earl's  sit- 
ting room.  A  moment  later  the  door  opened, 
and  she  was  ushered  into  Lord  Castlehurst's 
presence. 

"  You  will  pardon  me  for  not  rising  —  I  am 
an  invalid  —  and  for  receiving  you  in  this  attire. 
Pray  be  seated." 

The  earl's  voice  was  as  cold  as  his  eyes.  He 
pushed  the  tea-table  from  him  and  drew  himself 
up  in  the  chair  expectantly. 

She  lifted  her  veil,  revealing  a  gaunt,  white 
face,  scarred  by  smallpox,  and  a  pair  of  keen 
black  eyes.  With  a  slight  inclination  of  the 
head,  in  acknowledgment  of  the  old  man's 
courtesy,  she  took  the  nearest  seat  and  set  the 
leather  bag  on  the  floor.  She  smiled  timidly  and 
showed  her  white  teeth. 

"  Of  course,  my  lord,  this  visit  is  a  surprise 
to  you." 

"  Nothing  surprises  me,"  said  the  peer,  icily. 


378  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"To  what  am  I  indebted  for  your  presence  in 
my  —  my  lodgings  ?  " 

"  I  am  the  Viscountess  Delaunay,  the  wife  of 
your  grandson,  and  I  naturally  sought  your  lord- 
ship on  my  arrival  in  London.  The  wretched 
weather —  " 

"  The  weather  ?  Ah,  yes,  we'll  defer  that 
subject,"  said  the  earl,  with  a  polite  shrug  of  the 
shoulders.  "  I  had  not  heard  of  Lord  Delaunay's 
marriage.  You  are  an  American  ?  "  His  teeth 
came  together  with  an  ominous  click. 

"  I  am." 

"  A-a-ah ! "  His  breath  came  quick  and 
hard.  There  were  bright  patches  in  his  withered 
cheeks.  "  And  he  sent  you  to  me  ?  Almighty 
God !  " 

"  He  has  abandoned  me.  I  have  come  to  you 
for  justice  and  protection." 

"  Abandoned  you,  has  he  ?  "  cried  the  earl,  in  a 
sudden  paroxysm  of  anger.  "  The  dog !  the 
ingrate !  the  renegade  !  He  has  made  his  bed, 
and,  by  heaven,  he  shall  lie  on  it !  We've  had 
more  than  one  misalliance  in  our  house,  but  it's 
the  first  time  an  American  —  " 


EAGLE    BLOOD  379 

"You  forget  yourself,  my  lord.  I'm  a  woman 
and  entirely  at  your  mercy." 

"  Your  pardon,  madam,"  he  said,  with  a  stately 
gesture. 

"  The  fault  is  not  mine,"  she  began,  in  her 
peculiar  soft  voice. 

"  No,  no,"  he  exclaimed,  with  a  cruel  light  in 
his  blue  eyes,  as  he  struck  the  arm  of  his  chair 
with  his  clenched  hand.  "  Not  yours,  not  yours  ! 
The,  the"  —  his  face  purpled  horribly,  and  he 
shook  like  a  man  in  a  fit  —  "the  joke  is  on 
him.  Ha,  ha,  ha !  On  him ! "  The  harsh 
voice  broke  into  a  weak  falsetto. 

"  I'm  afraid  you're  not  strong  enough  to  bear 
my  story,"  she  suggested,  with  a  wheedling  look. 

"  I  can  bear  anything,"  he  answered  proudly. 
He  had  recovered  his  calmness  and  was  studying 
the  shrewd,  dark  face.  "  First,  your  maiden 
name  ?  " 

"  Barbara  Crush." 

"  Your  family  ?  " 

"  I  am  an  orphan,  without  brothers  or  sisters. 
I  have  been  a  trained  nurse,  and  then  a 
journalist." 


380  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  And  Lord  Delaunay  has  been  —  ?  " 

"A  journalist,  my  lord.  We  met  profes- 
sionally." 

The  earl  uttered  a  half-suppressed  groan,  and 
passed  his  hand  aimlessly  across  his  wrinkled 
forehead. 

"  Are  you  quite,  quite  sure  there  has  been  no 
mistake,  madam  ?  " 

"  None  whatever." 

"  And  you  expect  me  to  take  your  simple  word 
in  a  matter  like  this  ?  "  His  thin  little  body  was 
erect  now  and  his  face  was.  alive  with  intelligence 
and  suspicion.  "  Pardon  me  for  pressing  the 
point,  but,  although  I  do  not  know  the  habits 
of  America,  it  is  customary  among  civilized 
people  to  preserve  proofs  —  " 

"  I'm  fully  prepared  to  satisfy  your  lordship." 
She  drew  the  glove  from  her  left  hand  and  dis- 
played the  ancient  ring  given  to  her  by  Hugh  in 
his  hypnotic  trance. 

"  I  know  it,"  he  said  weakly.  "  It  is  Tan- 
cred's  ring.  Two  countesses  of  Castlehurst 
were  married  with  that  ring.  It  was  taken  from 
my  grandmother's  hand  as  she  lay  in  her  coffin. 
I  wore  it  myself,  as  a  boy." 


EAGLE  BLOOD  381 

She  slipped  the  golden  circle  from  her  finger 
and  held  it  out  to  him. 

» 

"  Take  it  again  and  wear  it,  my  lord." 

He  drew  back  with  a  frown. 

"I  couldn't  touch  it.  Woman,"  —  his  voice 
rose  in  passion,  —  "you  cannot  understand." 

For  a  space  the  earl  stared  vacantly  at  the 
ring.  Then  he  roused  himself  with  a  feeble 
jerk  of  the  head. 

"Is  that  all?" 

Without  a  word  she  opened  the  leather  bag 
and  handed  him  her  wedding  certificate  and  the 
marriage  register  book  showing.  Hugh's  signature. 

"  That's  not  his  name." 

"  It's  his  handwriting." 

"  But  not  his  name." 

"  It's  the  name  by  which  he  married  me." 

The  earl  lowered  his  head  and  peered  sharply 
at  her  from  under  his  bristling  white  eyebrows. 

"  How  do  you  come  in  possession  of  this 
book  ?  "  he  demanded.  "  It  is  an  official  record." 

"  The  clergyman  who  married  us  is  in  London. 
He  is  at  the  door  now,  if  your  lordship  wishes  to 
see  him.  I  did  not  dare  to  come  alone." 


382  EAGLE    BLOOD 

She  dropped  her  eyes  coyly. 

"  Thompson !  " 

The  butler  opened  the  door. 

"  Did  your  lordship  call  ?  " 

"Show  Mr.  —  " 

"  The  Reverend  Mr.  Frewen." 

"  Show  Mr.  Frewen  up.     He's  at  the  door." 

His  lordship  eyed  the  clergyman  with  uncon- 
cealed disgust  as  he  entered  the  room  and  stood 
forth  in  all  his  shabbiness,  one  shrivelled  hand 
nervously  covering  the  crooked  mouth. 

"  Are  you  a  regularly  ordained  clergyman  ?  " 

"  I  am,  sir." 

"  And  did  you  marry  the  person  whose  name 
is  written  in  this  book  to  this  per  —  this  lady?" 
He  pointed  to  the  lean  figure  in  black. 

"  I  did,  sir.  It  was  one  of  the  most  touching 
ceremonies  of  my  long  and  varied  —  " 

"You  may  go,"  said  the  sick  man,  sternly, 
pointing  to  the  door.  "  Thompson  !  " 

"  Yes,  m'  lord." 

"  Show  this  man  out." 

As  the  little,  bent  figure  shuffled  out  of  the 
room  under  the  withering  eye  of  Thompson, 


EAGLE    BLOOD  383 

Lord  Castlehurst  turned  quietly  to  the  eager  face 
of  his  visitor. 

"  Enough  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  The  Viscount 
Delaunay  has  made  his  choice  in  life  and  he  shall 
stand  by  it." 

A  gleam  of  triumph  shone  in  her  face  for  an 
instant. 

"  Of  course  you  cannot  expect  me  to  show  any 
enthusiasm  in  my  welcome,  Lady  Delaunay,"  he 
continued,  "  for,  to  be  quite  frank,  I  feel  none. 
I  have  been  estranged  from  my  grandson  for 
several  years  ;  and  even  were  the  case  otherwise,  I 
hold  views  which  make  this  marriage  a  source  of 
pain  to  me.  However,"  —  he  raised  his  hand  to 
prevent  her  from  speaking,  —  "we  must  make  the 
most  of  an  unpleasant  and  embarrassing  situation. 
It  shall  not  be  said  that  I  turned  a  Viscountess 
Delaunay  from  my  door." 

"You  are  so  kind,"  she  murmured,  with  a 
growing  softness  in  her  black  eyes. 

"  No,  I'm  not  kind,"  he  answered,  with  a  touch 
of  resentment.  "  Please  make  no  mistake ;  I 
receive  you  and  recognize  you  simply  as  a  means 
of  retribution ;  and  unless  I  am  a  poor  judge  of 


384  EAGLE    BLOOD 

human  character "  —  his  lip  curled  contemptu- 
ously —  "I  can  find  no  heavier  punishment  for 
Lord  Delaunay  than  this.  I  hope  I  make  my 
meaning  quite  clear." 

In  spite  of  his  physical  weakness  and  the  senile 
lines  about  his  mouth,  there  was  an  imperious 
irony  in  his  manner  that  overawed  her.  Her 
thin  lips  moved,  but  no  sound  came  from  them. 

"  I  shall  do  what  I  can  to  make  your  status  as 
my  grandson's  wife  valid,"  he  went  on,  "  but 
beyond  that,  you  may  expect  nothing.  I  am  too 
old  and  too  infirm  to  present  you  at  court ;  still, 
in  any  case,  her  Majesty  would  not  receive  you 
for  the  first  time  in  the  absence  of  your  husband." 

The  fog  had  lifted,  and  a  beam  of  sunshine  lay 
on  the  worn  carpet  at  the  old  man's  feet.  A 
street  piano,  accompanied  by  two  strident  voices, 
broke  the  stillness  :  — 

"Flow  gently,  sweet  Afton,  amang  thy  green  braes, 
Flow  gently,  I'll  sing  thee  a  song  in  thy  praise ; 
My  Mary's  asleep  by  thy  murmuring  stream, 
Flow  gently,  sweet  Afton,  disturb  not  her  dream." 

"  Thompson  !  "  cried  the  earl. 
The  butler  opened  the  door. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  385 

"  Close  the  windows." 

He  pulled  the  windows  down  carefully,  but 
still  the  sound  persisted. 

"  Thompson !  " 

"Yes,  m'  lord." 

"  Do  you  remember  that  song  at  Battle- 
cragie  ? " 

"  Ay,  that  I  do." 

"  Do  you  remember  the  boy  who  used  to 
sing  it  to  his  mother  ? " 

"  Master  Hugh  —  the  viscount." 

"  Thompson,"  —  the  earl's  voice  trembled 
slightly,  — "  this  is  his  wife,  the  Viscountess 
Delaunay." 

The  butler  made  a  deep  bow  to  the  stranger, 
and  looked  irresolutely  at  his  master,  as  if 
awaiting  instructions. 

"  That  will  do,  Thompson." 

"And  now,"  said  his  lordship,  as  the  door 
closed  behind  the  bewildered  Thompson,  "  a 
word  about  the  relations  which  are  to  exist 
between  us.  There  must  be  no  familiarity  on 
your  part.  I  have,  I  hope,  already  made  it 
plain  that  I  accept  you  in  order  that  my  grand- 


386  EAGLE    BLOOD 

son  shall  not  escape  the  consequences  of  his 
rash  rebellion  against  my  authority.  I  cannot 
disinherit  him  because  the  entire  estate  and  its 
revenues,  such  as  they  may  be,  are  in  the  hands 
of  my  creditors.  The  succession  to  my  title 
is  fixed  by  law,  beyond  my  power  to  alter. 
But,  if  he  has  seen  fit  to  abandon  his  country 
and  name  and  marry  out  of  his  station  in 
life  —  " 

"  Oh,  my  lord  !  " 

"And  marry  out  of  his  station  in  life,  I 
repeat,  —  then  he  must  eat  the  bread  of  his 
own  baking." 

His   mood   changed,  and  he  laughed  bitterly. 

"  Fool  !  fool !  fool !  " 

"  May  I  remind  your  lordship  that  the 
heir  —  " 

"Is  there  a  child?" 

"  Not  yet."  As  she  uttered  the  lying  insin- 
uation her  face  reddened. 

"And  he  knew  this  when  he  abandoned 
you  ? " 

"  No,  he  was  ignorant  of  my  condition." 

"  There  must  be  no  scandal  about  the  women 


EAGLE    BLOOD  387 

of  my  family,"  said  the  earl,  with  a  show  of 
feeling.  "  You  are  alone  in  London  ?  " 

She  bowed  her  head. 

"  I  will  provide  quarters  for  you  in  this  house 
—  a  room  or  two  —  it  is  what  you  are  accus- 
tomed to,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  I  will  be  content  with  anything  your  lord- 
ship provides." 

"  An  heir !  Great  God  !  "  The  earl  stared  at 
her  helplessly,  and  then,  with  a  look  of  rage 
that  made  her  cower,  he  screamed :  "  Go  !  go  ! 
I  can't  stand  it  another  moment.  Thompson 
will  see  about  the  rooms.  Go  ! " 

Thus  Miss  Grush  came  to  dwell  in  Jermyn 
Street,  under  the  same  roof  that  sheltered  the 
broken  Earl  of  Castlehurst.  Her  position  was 
a  difficult  one,  for  his  lordship,  after  the  first 
interview,  declined  to  receive  her  personally, 
and  insisted  on  communicating  with  her  through 
his  faithful  butler.  In  answer  to  her  messages 
the  earl  sent  word  that  the  condition  of  his 
health  would  not  permit  him  to  endure  any 
further  excitement  and  for  the  present  Thomp- 
son would  attend  to  her  wants.  She  bit  her 


388  EAGLE    BLOOD 

lips  and  smiled.  Within  a  few  hours  her  black 
eyes  and  purring  voice  made  the  butler  her 
slave.  Under  her  subtle  influence  the  naturally 
reticent  and  suspicious  servitor  became  garru- 
lous, and  she  was  able  to  investigate  her  social 
bearings.  She  called  at  the  London  addresses 
of  Lord  Castlehurst's  relatives,  and  left  her 
cards,  but  the  visits  were  not  returned.  Then 
she  wrote  a  note  to  the  Morning  Posf,  and  the 
result  was  a  paragraph  in  that  organ  of  fashion- 
able intelligence  announcing  the  arrival  of  the 
Viscountess  Delaunay  in  town,  and  giving  her 
number  in  Jermyn  Street.  After  that  a  few  cards 
were  received  from  outside  friends  of  the  family. 
She  eagerly  returned  the  calls  and  was  greeted  with 
discouraging  formality.  She  was  an  American,  un- 
familiar with  the  ways  of  her  new  acquaintances,  — 
somewhat  underbred,  they  thought, — and  there  was 
no  common  ground  for  intercourse  between  them. 
On  the  fourth  day  after  her  conquest  of  Lord 
Castlehurst,  Lady  Laiksley,  the  earl's  second 
cousin,  called.  She  was  a  tall,  stout  woman  with 
white  hair,  heavy,  red  face,  loud,  harsh  voice,  and 
a  grenadier  stride. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  389 

"  My  dear,"  she  groaned,  after  kissing  the  thin, 
dark  face.  "  I  never  could  bear  Americans,  but 
for  Hugh's  sake,  you  know." 

Her  ladyship  was  brutally  frank.  She  sur- 
veyed the  lank  American  through  her  lorgnette, 
criticised  her  clothes,  commented  on  her  nasal 
accent,  and  laughed  outright  at  her  frequent  utter- 
ance of  "  your  ladyship." 

"  Don't  say  that,  my  dear  —  it's  bad  form  ; 
domestics  use  it,  not  persons  of  breeding.  Of 
course  you  don't  mind  my  setting  you  straight 
on  these  little  points  —  they're  so  important 
here." 

A  dangerous  light  came  into  the  black  eyes. 
The  worm  was  turning. 

"You  really  won't  be  able  to  do  anything 
socially  till  Hugh  comes,"  continued  Lady  Laiks- 
ley,  unmindful  of  the  warning  scowl  in  her  vic- 
tim's face.  "  That  sort  of  thing  may  be  possible 
in  America,  but  it's  different  in  England,  isn't 
it  ?  We're  such  gossips  and  people  jump  at  such 
conclusions,  my  dear." 

The  new  "  viscountess  "  drummed  on  the  table 
with  her  fingers. 


390  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Really,  you're  not  half  so  bad  as  I  had  sup- 
posed," added  her  ladyship,  coolly  examining  the 
American  through  her  glasses. 

"  What  did  you  expect? "  snapped  the  white  lips. 
"  A  woman  in  a  blanket,  with  a  ring  in  her  nose  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,  my  dear.  You  see, 
we  know  so  little  about  Americans  here.  I  really 
believe  " —  the  big  gray  eyes  regarded  her  through 
the  lorgnette  with  cynical  curiosity  —  "you're  the 
first  one  I've  spoken  to.  Well,  I  must  be  going. 
We  must  see  something  of  you  when  Hugh 
comes ;  but  for  the  present,  the  fact  is,  my  dear, 
we're  seeing  practically  nobody."  And  Lady 
Laiksley  swept  out  of  the  room. 

The  next  day  the  Countess  Granbaire  called  — 
a  quiet  little  old  lady  in  prim  black  silk  and 
Mechlin  lace,  who  laughed  softly  and  said  all 
manner  of  pretty  things  and  forgot  to  leave  her 
card  when  she  smilingly  took  her  departure. 

Then  came  Mr.  Chadder,  ponderous,  grave, 
and  practical.  The  sturdy  solicitor  was  cautious 
at  first,  recognizing  the  subtle  quality  of  the 
mysterious  woman  whose  story  had  established 
her  so  soon  in  the  confidence  of  the  earl. 


EAGLE   BLOOD  391 

At  first  she  evaded  his  questions,  slipping  from 
point  to  point  with  an  easy  elusion  that  baffled 
his  blunter  mind.  She  saw  in  him  an  enemy  and 
concentrated  her  powers  to  defeat  him.  Mr. 
Chadder  was  professionally  deferential  in  his 
manner.  As  Lord  Delaunay's  solicitor,  he  stood 
ready  to  serve  my  lady  to  the  utmost  of  his 
powers,  but  —  and  the  deep  gray  eyes  searched 
her  treacherous  soul  —  the  circumstances  were  so 
unusual.  The  viscount  had  not  even  hinted  in 
his  correspondence  that  he  had  taken  upon  him- 
self the  responsibilities  of  marriage.  Of  course 
it  would  be  an  easy  thing  to  relieve  my  lady  of 
embarrassment  by  cabling  to  his  lordship,  but  — 
Then  my  lady  put  herself  in  her  enemy's  hands 
by  admitting  that  Lord  Delaunay  denied  the 
marriage. 

"  And  now,"  said  Mr.  Chadder,  imperturbably, 
"  perhaps  you  will  explain  how  you  happened 
to  come  into  possession  of  the  ring  I  see  on 
your  finger." 

She  held  her  bony  hand  up  with  an  air  of 
triumph. 

"  It's  the  ring  the  great  knight  Tancred  gave 


392  EAGLE    BLOOD 

to  Lord  Delaunay's  ancestor  at  the  siege  of 
Jerusalem." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  solicitor,  drawing  his  iron- 
bound  spectacles  out  to  the  end  of  his  powerful 
nose  and  examining  the  ring,  "I'm  quite  familiar 
with  its  history.  I'm  curious  to  know  how 
you  got  it." 

"You  must  be  very  dense,  sir." 

"  I  confess,  my  lady,  that  I'm  getting  on 
in  years,"  he  exclaimed  respectfully,  "  and  an 
old  man's  mind  is  apt  to  grow  dull."  Mr. 
Chadder's  mind  might  be  dull,  but  his  eyes 
were  bright  enough ;  they  seemed  suddenly  to 
have  become  microscopes. 

"  My  husband  put  it  on  my  finger  when  we 
were  married.  It's  my  wedding  ring." 

"  I  happen  to  know  that  the  ring  was  not 
in  the  Viscount  Delaunay's  possession  when  he 
went  to  America." 

"  Do  you  —  "  she  began  hotly.  "  Ah,  well," 
—  with  an  insolent  smile,  —  "what  does  it  mat- 
ter ?  It  must  have  been  sent  to  him.  There 
it  is." 

Mr.  Chadder  pushed  his  spectacles  up  on  his 


EAGLE    BLOOD  393 

broad  forehead  and  fixed  his  steady  gaze  upon 
the  defiant  black  eyes. 

"  I  saw  Lord  Delaunay  throw  that  ring  from 
the  window  of  a  railway  carnage  the  day  he 
sailed  for  New  York,"  he  persisted  relentlessly 

"  Well,  and  what  if  you  did  ?  It  was  found 
by  some  friend  and  sent  to  New  York." 

The  solicitor  wetted  his  lips  with  his  tongue 
and  brought  the  tips  of  his  thick  fingers  together. 
His  manner  was  distinctly  less  respectful,  and 
there  was  that  in  his  keen  gray  eyes  which  drove 
the  confident  look  from  her  face. 

"  That  is  impossible." 

"  You  lack  imagination,"  she  remarked,  stung 
out  of  her  self-possession  by  his  glacier-like 
steadiness  of  approach. 

"True,"  he  answered  gravely,  "but  the  fact 
is  that  no  one  in  England,  except  myself,  knew 
his  assumed  name  or  address." 

"  How  dare  you  insinuate  ?  "  Her  cunning 
had  vanished.  He  could  see  the  terror  in  her 
eyes. 

"  I  dare  do  much  in  the  service  of  a  gentleman 
whose  family  I've  served  all  the  years  of  my 


394  EAGLE    BLOOD 

manhood.  And  now,  madam,"  —  he  twisted 
his  strong  hands  about  one  knee  and  watched 
her  sternly  from  under  his  shaggy  brows,  —  "  we 
might  as  well  understand  each  other  at  once. 
As  you  remarked  a  moment  ago,  I  lack  imagina- 
tion, but  I  am  fortunate  in  having  some  pene- 
tration, and  I  give  you  credit  for  possessing  an 
unusual  degree  of  intelligence.  You  must  cer- 
tainly see  —  you  will  excuse  my  directness, 
madam ;  we  solicitors  develop  an  unhappy 
plainness  of  speech  —  that  this  situation  is  be- 
coming perilous."  He  pursed  his  lips  and 
threw  his  head  back. 

"  Perilous  ?  "  she  repeated  with  a  sneer. 
"Perilous  for  whom?  I  don't  understand." 

"  For  you,  madam.  The  peril  is  imminent 
and  real." 

"  You  dull  fool,"  she  snarled.  "  If  I  were 
a  man,  I'd —  " 

"You'd  have  less  imagination  and  more  cau- 
tion," interjected  the  stolid  solicitor,  without  a 
trace  of  emotion.  His  coolness  made  her  de- 
lirious with  anger.  "  However,"  he  rose  and 
moved  toward  the  door,  "  I  see  that  you  intend 


EAGLE    BLOOD  395 

to  hold  to  this  adventure  (if  I  may  call  it 
by  so  mild  a  name)  and  I  feel  that  I  have 
said  all  that  duty  requires  me  to  say  for  the 
present  "  —  he  paused  thoughtfully  —  "  yes,  for 
the  present.  Verbum  sat  —  pardon  the  Latin; 
it's  another  vice  of  solicitors."  And  he  lumbered 
out  of  the  door,  making  the  floor  creak  beneath 
his  weight  as  he  went. 

Mr.  Chadder's  subsequent  interview  with  Lord 
Castlehurst  availed  little.  The  earl  was  in  a  bitter 
mood  and  resented  the  solicitor's  patient  cham- 
pionship of  Hugh's  cause.  There  is  no  corrosive 
like  wounded  egotism.  It  eats  into  the  moral 
nature,  corrupting  its  victim,  destroying  all  sense 
of  proportion,  and  blinding  him  to  everything 
save  his  own  passionate  longing  for  reprisal.  The 
imperious  old  man  still  remembered  Hugh's 
boyish  repudiation  of  his  authority,  and  in  spite 
of  an  inward  agony  that  he  could  not  hide  from 
Mr.  Chadder's  experienced  eyes,  he  cursed  his 
heir  as  a  renegade  ripe  for  retribution. 

"  But,  my  lord,"  said  the  solicitor,  "  with  a 
strong  prima  facie  case  against  the  woman, 
surely  —  " 


396  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  He  shall  stand  by  his  bargain,  Chadder.  It's 
none  of  my  making." 

"  Yes,  yes,  if  there  was  a  marriage,  of  course. 
In  that  case  I  should  have  nothing  to  say.  But 
I'm  convinced,  my  lord,  that  she's  an  impostor. 
As  I  have  already  explained,  the  ring  itself —  " 

"  He  hadn't  decency  enough  to  leave  that  out 
of  it,"  cried  the  earl,  bitterly. 

"  The  ring  itself,  as  I  was  saying,  is  to  my 
mind  a  plain  indication  of  fraud.  It  seems  to  me 
that  your  lordship  has  been  somewhat  hasty  in 
accepting  a  perfect  stranger  as  the  Viscountess 
Delaunay.  Her  story  —  if  I  may  say  so  without 
offence  —  is  simply  preposterous." 

"  Damn  it,  Chadder  !  "  roared  the  earl,  "  haven't 
I  told  you  that  I  saw  the  marriage  register  with 
my  own  eyes?  —  the  clergyman,  too,  —  I  talked 
with  him,  —  a  vile-looking  old  hound,  but  still  a 
clergyman." 

"  You  have  not  the  slightest  evidence,  my  lord, 
that  either  register  or  clergyman  was  genuine. 
And  you  have  the  admitted  fact  that  Lord  De- 
launay denies  the  marriage.  I  have  already  cabled 
to  him  and  am  awaiting  his  answer." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  397 

"  Of  course  he'll  deny  it." 

"  My  lord,  have  you  ever  known  your  grand- 
son to  tell  a  deliberate  lie  ? " 

"  Probably  not,"  said  the  earl,  reluctantly. 
"  He  couldn't  have  my  blood  in  his  veins  and  be 
a  liar,  could  he  ?  " 

"  And  you  would  condemn  him  without  a  hear- 
ing, this  high-spirited  youth,  whose  only  fault  is 
that  he  has  inherited  your  own  unbendable  pride 
and  impatience  of  control.  Forgive  me,  my  lord, 
if  I  go  too  far  and  overstep  the  bounds  of  my 
dutiful  relationship  to  you,  but  what  could  you 
expect  of  a  boy  with  such  an  inheritance  ?  " 

The  strong,  coarse  face  was  full  of  tenderness, 
and  the  deep  gray  eyes  shone  with  love  and  loy- 
alty ;  but  there  was  no  sign  of  pity  in  the  earl's 
blue  eyes. 

"  He  has  borne  his  fate  without  a  whimper." 

"  That's  blood,"  muttered  his  lordship,  with  a 
faint  quiver  in  his  voice. 

"Ay,  it's  his  blood,  my  lord,  your  own  blood, 
the  last  blood  of  your  race.  And  now  —  he  a 
mere  youth  and  you  a  white-haired  man  —  will 
you  close  your  lonely  heart  to  him  ? " 


398  EAGLE    BLOOD 

There  were  tears  in  the  blue  eyes  now,  and  the 
fine,  thin  lips  trembled.  The  old  man  struggled 
to  master  his  feelings,  but  a  sob  broke  in  his 
throat. 

"  If  he  hadn't  taken  up  with  Americans,  Chad- 
der,"  he  lamented,  "  I  might  have  forgiven  him. 
He  looks  like  me,  Chadder  ?  " 

"  Your  very  likeness,  sir." 

"  They're  a  race  of  vandals,  Chadder,"  he 
screamed,  with  a  wild  look,  "  a  mob,  a  rabble  — 
the  enemies  of  social  order  —  " 

"  My  lord,  you  are  ill,"  exclaimed  the  solicitor, 
as  the  earl  beat  the  air  with  his  thin,  white  hands. 

"  The  world  is  ill  —  ill  unto  death  —  poisoned 
with  the  doctrines  of  mobocracy.  Our  fogs, 
Chadder,  are  simply  the  vapors  of  the  American 
Gulf  Stream  bearing  down  the  smoke  of  our 
own  chimneys  to  strangle  us.  Ill !  ill !  we're  all 
ill." 

A  gray  foam  appeared  on  his  lips,  and  he 
laughed  shrilly. 

"  My  poor  little  Hughey,"  he  moaned.  "  How 
could  I  do  it  ?  " 

Mr.  Chadder  left  the  room,  and  after  instruct- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  399 

ing  Thompson  to  look  after  his  master,  hurried 
away  for  a  doctor. 

Hardly  had  the  sound  of  the  solicitor's  heavy 
footsteps  died  away  on  the  stair  when  the  new 
"  viscountess  "  glided  into  the  room. 

"  'E's  took  again,"  explained  the  butler,  who 
was  frantically  chafing  the  unconscious  earl's 
temples.  "  Never  been  so  bad  as  this,  my 
lady." 

She  passed  her  hand  over  the  sunken  featuress 
drawing  the  finger  tips  caressingly  across  the 
wrinkled  forehead.  The  earl  ceased  to  tremble, 
and  a  sigh  of  content  escaped  from  him. 
Thompson  drew  back  and  watched  her  while 
she  leaned  over  the  stricken  peer,  stroking  his 
brow  and  muttering  a  curious  purring  sound. 
As  she  fondled  the  sick  man  her  lean  body 
swayed  with  a  sinuous,  snaky  motion.  Her  eyes 
glowed  like  the  eyes  of  an  animal  in  the  darkc 
The  dark  visage  was  alive  with  intelligence. 

The  earl  coughed  and  opened  his  eyes,  with 
a  feeble  yawn.  He  looked  in  a  confused  way 
at  his  nurse  and  seemed  to  be  struggling  against 
the  command  in  her  face.  Gradually  the  firm 


400  EAGLE    BLOOD 

lines  reappeared  about  his  scornful  mouth  and 
his  eyes  grew  bright  and  hard. 

"  Woman,  I  have  something  to  say  to  you," 
he  said  weakly. 

"  Leave  the  room,"  she  cried  to  the  butler, 
who  retired  precipitately. 

"  Your  lordship  is  not  well."  The  bony  hand 
reached  out  to  stroke  his  forehead  again,  but  he 
pushed  it  away  wearily. 

"What  —  what  was  it  I  wanted  to  say?"  he 
demanded.  "I  —  oh,  yes,"  —  his  eyes  grew 
piercingly  bright  and  he  tugged  tremblingly  at 
his  white  mustache,  — "  you  forgot  to  tell  me 
where  you  saw  Lord  Delaunay  last." 

"  In  Manila." 

"  Manila  ?  So  far  away  ?  "  A  tear  rolled 
down  the  fine,  proud  face. 

"  I  came  all  the  way  alone,"  she  said,  with  a 
touch  of  self-pity  in  her  tone. 

"  What  was  he  doing  in  Manila  ?  " 

"  He  was  a  soldier,,  my  lord." 

"  What  ? "  he  shrieked,  with  an  angry  glare. 
"Not  an  —  " 

"  Yes,  my  lord,  an  American  soldier." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  401 

The  earl  struggled  to  his  feet.  His  mouth 
foamed,  and  a  ghastly  grayness  stole  over  his 
pinched  features. 

"The  end,"  he  gasped,  with  a  strange  whis- 
tling sound  in  his  throat. 

A  senile  smile  came  into  the  venerable  face, 
the  eyes  grew  dull,  and  with  a  lurch  the  earl 
fell  back  into  his  chair. 

For  an  instant  she  bent  her-  head  down  and 
listened  at  his  bosom.  Then,  hearing  footsteps 
at  the  door,  she  turned  to  meet  the  austere 
doctor. 

"  This,  I  assume,  is  Lady  Delaunay  ?  "  he  said, 
with  a  bow. 

"No,"  —  there  were  wicked  lightnings  in  her 
face,  — "  this  is  the  Countess  of  Castlehurst." 

"  The  Countess  of  Castlehurst  ? "  he  stam- 
mered. "  Surely,  there  is  some  mistake  ?  " 

"  There  is  no  mistake,"  she  answered,  point- 
ing to  the  still,  white  face  in  the  chair. 

The  frightened  butler  approached  her. 

"Thompson,"  she  said,  with  a  smile  she  could 
not  repress,  "  say  to  all  callers  that  Lady  Castle- 
hurst is  not  receiving  to-day." 


CHAPTER   XVI 

IT  was  arranged  that  Captain  Jack  Remington 
and  Hugh  should  travel  back  to  America  to- 
gether, and  during  the  long  voyage  the  two 
young  men  became  firm  friends.  Before  reach- 
ing San  Francisco  they  had  regained  strength 
enough  to  take  their  daily  deck  exercise  arm  in 
arm.  The  captain  was  full  of  gratitude  to  his 
saviour,  and  honestly  sought  to  increase  the  in- 
timacy which  had  sprung  up  between  them, 
baring  his  bosom  to  Hugh  with  a  confidence 
begot  of  admiration  and  sympathy. 

During  one  of  their  long  talks  —  it  was  a 
moonlit  evening  —  the  captain  confessed  his  love 
for  Helen  Martin,  unknowing  the  pain  he  was 
inflicting  upon  his  companion,  and  Hugh,  look- 
ing out  on  the  miles  of  silvered  sea,  was  silent. 
But  when  Remington,  in  the  fulness  of  his 
heart,  added  that  his  journey  to  New  York  was 
undertaken  in  the  hope  of  winning  Helen's 

402 


EAGLE    BLOOD  403 

hand  rather  than  in  search  of  health,  Hugh  re- 
tired to  his  stateroom,  there  to  lie  sleeplessly 
for  the  rest  of  the  night,  cursing  Miss  Grush 
and  torturing  his  soul  with  visions  of  Helen. 
He  guarded  the  secret  of  his  passion  from  his 
rival,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  voyage  listened  to 
the  captain's  sentimental  outbursts  with  a  calm 
face  that  gave  no  hint  of  the  inward  heart- 
tempest. 

They  reached  New  York  together  and  parted 
at  the  dock,  each  to  pursue  his  path  of  love 
alone. 

The  staff  of  the  Mail  welcomed  Hugh  back 
with  moderate  cordiality,  which  presently  de- 
veloped into  uproarious  enthusiasm  and  a 
speechful  banquet  when  it  became  known  that 
Mr.  Irkins,  in  an  outburst  of  eccentric  generos- 
ity, had  presented  the  young  Englishman  with 
a  one-fifth  interest  in  the  paper. 

"  I  have  no  heirs,"  said  Mr.  Irkins,  who  was 
now  an  invalid  and  seldom  left  his  room,  "  and 
you're  just  the  sort  of  a  fellow  I'd  have  liked  to 
have  for  a  son.  It  will  be  an  interesting  thing 
to  watch  young  blood  work  out  in  the  manage- 


404  EAGLE    BLOOD 

merit  of  the  Mail.  You  have  the  grit  and  te- 
nacity I  admire;  besides,  I  don't  believe  you 
could  be  disloyal  even  if  you  tried.  It  isn't 
gratitude  that  moves  me,  although  you  did  pro- 
tect my  life.  I  feel  drawn  to  you,  and  I  want 
to  keep  you  near  me." 

The  story  of  Hugh's  gallantry  in  the  Philip- 
pines was  well  known  in  New  York,  and  he  was 
mildly  lionized.  There  was  often  a  seat  for  him 
at  the  Remington  dinner  table,  and  Miss  Rem- 
ington was  more  archly  coquettish  than  ever. 
The  millionnaire's  attitude  toward  his  guest  was 
midway  between  hearty  admiration  and  cynical 
condescension.  Mrs.  Remington  encouraged 
the  handsome,  courtly  visitor  as  a  desirable  bach- 
elor whose  good  manners  and  innate  distinction 
added  a  charm  to  her  social  plans,  but  she  kept 
a  more  than  ever  jealous  guard  on  his  inter- 
course with  her  daughter.  Her  greenish  hawk 
eyes  were  alert  for  signs  of  danger.  Captain 
Remington's  tales  of  his  comrade's  valor  in  the 
field  were  interminable. 

Miss  Remington's  beauty  grew  with  her  years. 
The  queenly  head,  crowned  with  pale  gold,  was 


EAGLE    BLOOD  405 

the  harmonious  corollary  of  a  form  endowed 
with  Juno-like  grace.  Yet  the  gray  eyes  were 
less  soft  than  before,  the  tenderly  curved  mouth 
was  more  disdainful,  and  there  was  a  worldly 
expression  in  the  fair  face  that  puzzled  Hugh. 
He  found  her  more  experienced  and  less  frank. 
Her  tongue  was  as  sharp  as  her  wit.  She  still 
talked  to  him  of  European  castles  and  titles, 
but  the  girlish  imagination,  which  saw  knightly 
armor  under  the  baggy  tweeds  of  every  English 
nobleman,  had  hardened  to  a  calculating  percep- 
tion of  the  social  value  of  rank.  Feminine 
Quixotism,  peopling  the  courts  of  Europe  with 
romance  and  chivalry,  had  vanished.  Miss 
Remington  went  the  way  of  the  world.  Under 
her  mother's  relentless  schooling  she  had  learned 
to  read  Burke's  "  Peerage  "  as  her  father  read  the 
daily  stock  reports. 

Notwithstanding  the  subtle  atmosphere  of  self- 
ish ambition  which  surrounded  the  stately  heiress, 
Hugh  found  much  to  admire  in  her  sparkling 
repartee  and  merry  temperament.  He  bore 
with  her  father's  sometimes  too  obvious  spirit 
of  patronage  for  the  sake  of  hearing  her  clever 


4o6  EAGLE    BLOOD 

parodies  and  engaging  in  conversational  bouts 
in  which  she  gradually  revealed  her  love  of  social 
glory. 

The  more  he  saw  of  Miss  Remington,  the 
more  he  loved  Helen  Martin.  He  rarely  en- 
countered the  little  patriot  now.  On  the  few 
occasions  when  they  met,  she  seemed  to  avoid 
him,  save  in  the  presence  of  her  father.  His 
pride  held  him  back;  and  although  he  sometimes 
felt  as  though  he  could  no  longer  restrain  him- 
self and  must  gather  her  slight  form  into  his 
arms,  he  maintained  a  consistent  bearing  of  re- 
spectful friendship.  Not  that  her  eyes  lacked 
the  warm  love-light,  but  there  was  an  unspoken 
truce  between  them.  Yet  there  were  times  when 
the  ordeal  of  silence  was  almost  too  great  for 
his  strength. 

Captain  Remington  devoted  much  of  his  time 
to  the  Martins,  and  took  every  occasion  to  press 
his  attentions  on  .Helen.  Hugh  saw  and  suf- 
fered, but  gave  no  sign  of  his  agony.  But  for 
an  occasional  glance  of  sympathy  from  her  honest 
brown  eyes,  he  might  have  broken  down  in  his 
high  resolution  to  refrain  from  approaching  her 


EAGLE    BLOOD  407 

heart  until  the  mystery  of  his  hypnotic  marriage 
to  Miss  Grush  was  cleared  up. 

Mr.  Martin  looked  on  and  understood.  He 
said  little,  but  at  critical  moments  a  friendly 
hand-clap  on  Hugh's  shoulder  assured  him  of 
the  old  man's  sympathy  and  confidence. 

"  The  last  mile's  always  the  hardest,  my  son," 
he  would  say  with  a  kindly  smile. 

Sometimes  he  was  seized  with  a  longing  to 
return  to  England  and  visit  the  scenes  and 
friends  of  his  youth.  Then  the  spirit  of  his 
adopted  country  would  arise  within  and  drive 
him  into  the  crowded  streets  to  wander  about 
until  his  soul  went  forth  in  fellowship  to  the 
mighty  forces  of  the  life  thronging  about  him. 
In  these  days  he  saw  everything  with  new  eyes. 
The  great  republic  was  simply  the  completion 
of  the  immense  design  which  had  been  working 
out  through  history  since  the  Dooms  of  Alfred, 
each  succeeding  age  advancing,  —  the  Magna 
Charta,  the  Mayflower  compact,  the  Declaration 
of  Independence.  He  could  see  them  all  now 
as  parts  of  one  majestic  plan,  stretching  from 
century  to  century,  and  culminating  on  the 


4o8  EAGLE    BLOOD 

free  continent  reserved  for  the  last  stage  of 
human  emancipation.  It  was  toward  this  su- 
preme end  that  all  his  warrior  ancestry  had  been 
unconsciously  working,  each  seeing  only  the  page 
opened  in  his  own  day.  Here,  at  last,  was  a 
land  in  which  all  men  were  free  to  rise  or  fall 
according  to  their  own  worth,  a  nation  built 
upon  the  solid  rock  of  human  equality. 

The  search  for  news  of  Miss  Grush  was  kept 
up  through  all  these  days,  but  the  most  diligent 
investigation  failed  to  yield  any  clew.  It  never 
occurred  to  Hugh's  mind  that  the  adventuress 
might  go  to  England  and  attempt  to  steal  into 
his  grandfather's  confidence  under  cover  of  the 
fraudulent  marriage,  and  he  failed  to  write  Mr. 
Chadder  any  hint  of  his  difficulties.  Indeed,  he 
had  ceased  to  answer  the  solicitor's  increasingly 
urgent  appeals  to  return  to  London.  Hugh's 
New  York  lawyer  had  examined  the  official 
record  of  Miss  Crush's  plot,  and  declared  that, 
on  the  face  of  things,  the  wedding  was  in  due 
form,  although  it  would  be  possible,  when  the 
witnesses  could  be  found,  to  have  the  contract 
annulled ;  meanwhile  he  must  have  patience  and 


EAGLE    BLOOD  409 

wait  —  such  a  woman  as  Miss  Grush  would  be 
bound  to  reveal  herself  in  some  way  before 
long. 

So  things  drifted  along  for  weeks,  and  Hugh's 
sad  face  and  musing  air  became  a  matter  of  gossip 
in  the  Mail  office.  He  seemed  suddenly  to  grow 
older.  The  doctor  advised  him  to  go  abroad  for 
his  health,  warning  him  that  the  habit  of  brooding 
melancholy  might  have  serious  consequences  in 
his  already  weakened  condition.  Hugh  shook 
his  head  and  continued  to  pace  the  floor  pensively. 

"  A  fellow  can't  get  away  from  sorrow  by 
travelling,"  he  said.  "  If  hfe  has  any  real  trouble, 
it's  inside  of  him,  and  he  can't  get  rid  of  it 
by  moving  from  country  to  country.  When  he 
reaches  the  next  port,  he  finds  that  the  enemy 
he  has  been  flying  from  is  himself." 

Matters  were  in  this  way  when,  one  evening, 
he  was  surprised  to  find  himself  seated  opposite 
to  Helen  at  dinner  in  the  Remington  house.  She 
was  lovelier  than  he  had  ever  seen  her  before, 
although  his  quickened  discernment  brought  him 
comfort  in  the  discovery  of  a  shadowy  trouble  in 
the  sweet  face  and  earnest  brown  eyes.  Captain 


4io  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Remington  sat  beside  her,  with  an  air  of  confi- 
dent gallantry  that  sent  devil-leaps  through  the 
helpless  lover's  veins.  He  watched  the  officer's 
tender  looks  and  wondered  why  he  had  not  let 
him  die  that  terrible  night  in  Manila.  Miss 
Remington's  seat  was  next  to  Hugh.  It  was 
evident  that  the  heiress  suspected  her  brother's 
passion  for  Helen,  and  she  darted  many  a  mean- 
ing glance  at  the  radiant  captain. 

Mr.  Martin,  from  his  place  beside  the  austere 
mistress  of  the  house,  observed  the  play  of  moral 
lightning  that  flashed  between  these  three,  and  he 
labored  prodigiously  to  divert  their  spirits  by 
drawing  Mr.  Remington  into  a  discussion  of 
industrial  concentration.  The  banker  was  in  a 
heavy  humor  and  responded  loathly  to  the  jour- 
nalist's efforts  to  penetrate  into  the  sacred  arcana 
of  finance. 

"  If  I  ever  thought  so,  I  have  changed  my 
mind,"  said  Hugh,  with  heightened  color,  in 
answer  to  a  whispered  remark  of  Miss  Rem- 
ington. 

"What  was  that?"  asked  the  captain,  look- 
ing across  the  table. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  411 

"  I  was  saying  to  Mr.  Dorsay  that  an  heredi- 
tary aristocracy  was  the  only  possible  means  of 
preserving  the  refined  instincts  of  civilization." 

"  Why,  Fanny !  "  cried  her  brother,  "  where 
did  an  American  girl  ever  get  such  an  absurd 
idea  ? " 

"  I  appeal  to  history,"  answered  the  heiress, 
with  a  toss  of  her  chapely  head. 

"  Take  your  o\vn  history,"  said  Hugh, 
gravely.  "  Apply  that  reasoning  to  Washing- 
ton and  Lincoln." 

"  It  isn't  fair  to  drag  politicians  into  the 
subject.  We  were  talking  of  the  social  life 
of  the  world." 

"  I  fail  to  recognize  the  moral  agency  of  a 
title  to-day." 

"  Perhaps  if  you  had  one  —  " 

"  Perhaps,"  answered  Hugh,  with  a  faint  smile. 

"That's  just  it,"  remarked  Mrs.  Remington^ 
sourly. 

"  It's  an  anchor  for  society,"  said  the  heiress. 
"  Something  to  hold  to." 

"  When  you  get  it,"  exclaimed  the  captain, 
with  a  wicked  laugh  at  his  sister. 


4i2  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Jack ! "  Mrs.  Remington's  green  eyes 
snapped.  "  I'm  really  surprised  !  " 

"  So  am  I,"  replied  the  officer,  defiantly. 
"  I'm  surprised  to  hear  the  daughter  of  an 
American  father  and  mother  utter  such  senti- 
ments." 

"  Tut !  tut !  "  said  Mr.  Remington,  testily. 
"  Fanny's  not  so  far  out  of  the  way." 

"  You  too,  father  ?  "  The  captain  laid  down 
his  knife  and  looked  at  his  parent  in  astonishment. 

"  There's  just  as  much  sentiment  on  the  one 
side  as  on  the  other,"  observed  the  banker. 
"  Then  there's  the  practical  side,"  —  he  cleared 
his  throat  portentously,  —  "which  appeals  very 
strongly  to  me.  I  confess  that  I've  held  other 
views,  but  the  truth  is  that  a  good  European 
title  carries  with  it  an  enormous  social  advan- 
tage, and  "  - —  with  a  gay  nod  toward  his  daughter 
— "  I  don't  wonder  that  a  sensible  girl  feels 
tempted  by  the  substantial  privileges  of  rank." 

"  There,  now ! "  cried  the  heiress,  trium- 
phantly. 

"  Father,  you  amaze  me,"  said  the  soldier. 
"You  used  to  —  " 


EAGLE    BLOOD  413 

"  Yes,  I  used  to  think  differently,  Jack.  I've 
changed  my  mind,  that's  all.  Time  has  taught 
me  a  good  many  things.  How  many  senators 
or  representatives  or  governors  of  states  are 
there  who  would  care  to  hold  office,  if  it  wasn't 
for  the  titles?  Fudge!"  And  the  banker 
thrust  out  his  heavy  under  lip  contemptuously. 

"And  now  I  remember  that  Washington 
wanted  to  be  called  'Your  Highness,'  but  Con- 
gress refused  to  sanction  it,"  said  Miss  Rem- 
ington, shaking  her  head  at  Hugh. 

"  That  was  one  of  John  Adams's  lies,"  said 
Mr.  Martin,  sternly. 

"  And  you,  Miss  Martin  ? "  She  turned 
appealingly  to  Helen,  with  a  pretty  droop  of 
the  blue  eyes. 

"  I  think  American  Citizen  is  the  finest  title 
in  the  world,"  answered  the  little  beauty,  quietly. 
"  It's  the  one  I  should  want  my  husband  to  wear." 

Blue  eyes  looked  into  brown  eyes  steadily 
for  a  moment.  It  was  a  duel  of  temperaments. 
The  blue  eyes  drooped. 

"  Magnificent !  "  cried  the  captain.  "  Just 
my  sentiments." 


4H  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Helen's  face  flushed  at  the  silence  which  fol- 
lowed. Hugh  caught  a  look  from  her  honest  eyes 
which  quieted  the  jealous  tumult  in  his  breast. 

"  Mine,  too,"  he  said. 

The  color  vanished  from  her  cheeks.  What 
did  he  mean  ? 

"  Of  course  American  citizenship  is  honor- 
able," said  the  heiress.  "  Perhaps  you've  mis- 
understood me.  (Jack,  I  want  you  to  stop 
laughing.)  What  I  mean  is,  that  there's  a  ro- 
mance and  sentiment  about  ancient  titles  which 
appeal  to  the  social  imagination.  A  noble  fam- 
ily living  up  to  its  traditions  is  a  conserver  of 
civilization.  We're  all  so  practical  and  plain 
and  uninteresting  in  America.  There  isn't  a 
bit  of  romance  about  us.  Rank,  too,  involves 
social  leadership  and  social  responsibility  con- 
tinued from  generation  to  generation." 

Helen  looked  across  the  roses,  heaped  in  a 
silver  bowl  on  the  table,  at  the  haughtily  beau- 
tiful face  and  wonderful  white  throat,  from 
which  the  shoulders  sloped  away  in  exquisite 
curves.  Was  ever  anything  more  stately  than 
this  daughter  of  millions  ? 


EAGLE    BLOOD  415 

"  And  yet,  Miss  Remington,"  she  said  simply, 
"  I'd  rather  be  the  wife  of  an  American  citizen 
than  marry  the  subject  or  be  the  subject  of  any 
monarch  in  Europe.  You  mustn't  think  I 
don't  appreciate  the  practical  social  value  of 
titles ;  I've  thought  of  the  subject  a  good  deal. 
But  from  a  woman's  standpoint,  even  if  I  had 
no  other  reason  for  my  patriotism,  I  can't  for- 
get that,  without  the  aid  of  titles,  woman  has 
reached  her  highest,  noblest  station  in  America. 
Here  she  is  honored  as  nowhere  else  in  the 
world." 

Her  face  was  glorified  by  emotion.  There 
was  inspiration  in  her  soft  eyes.  Her  bosom 
swelled,  and  the  tints  of  the  wild  rose  fluttered 
in  her  cheeks.  Suddenly  she  realized  that  the 
diners  had  stopped  eating  and  were  listening 
intently. 

"  I'm  afraid  you'll  think  me  a  bluestocking," 
she  added,  with  a  little  tremble  in  her  voice. 

"  And  are  traditions  of  chivalry  and  romance 
nothing?"  Miss  Remington  asked,  with  a  po- 
litely checked  yawn. 

"  They  are  very,  very  much,"  said  the  young 


4i6  EAGLE    BLOOD 

enthusiast.  "  But  the  present  is  better  than 
the  past,  because  it  is  our  own ;  and  there's 
nothing  in  the  thousand  years  of  feudal  history 
so  romantic  or  so  chivalrous  as  the  attitude  of 
the  American  man  to  the  American  woman." 

"  Do  you  know,  Fanny,"  said  the  captain, 
merrily,  "  I  believe  that  you'd  like  to  be  a 
languishing  lady  in  a  rheumatic  castle,  with  a 
husband  in  armor  rattling  around  the  country 
like  a  milk  wagon." 

"  No,  but  I  shouldn't  mind  being  a  duchess 
or  a  countess,  with  an  automobile,  a  steam  yacht, 
and  a  visiting  list  as  long  as  the  peerage.  I'm 
distinctly  modern  in  my  tastes." 

By  a  skilfully  placed  question,  Mr.  Martin 
drew  his  taciturn  host  into  a  grudging  defence 
of  industrial  monopoly,  and  the  dinner  passed 
without  further  incident.  During  the  evening 
in  the  drawing-room,  Hugh  was  thrown  much 
into  the  society  of  Miss  Remington,  while  the 
captain  devoted  himself  to  Helen. 

When  at  last  the  company  broke  up  and 
Hugh  was  about  to  leave,  Helen  touched  him 
gently  on  the  arm. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  417 

"  I  hope  you  don't  feel  hurt,"  she  said ;  and 
then,  seeing  that  he  misunderstood,  she  added, 
"  I  mean  the  conversation  at  dinner  —  perhaps 
I  was  carried  away  by  my  enthusiasm." 

"  I  think  you  are  the  best  and  dearest  girl 
in  all  the  world,  and — " 

"  Come,  daddy,  we  must  hurry,"  she  called, 
blushing  furiously  and  turning  to  her  father. 

That  was  a  memorable  night  in  Hugh's  life. 
He  went  to  the  Mail  office  and  tried  to  forget 
his  passion  in  work,  yet  a  girlish  face  and  a 
pair  of  true  brown  eyes  came  between  him  and 
his  manuscript.  He  sought  refuge  in  sleep, 
but  his  soul  was  on  fire.  Daylight  found  him 
in  the  street  with  slow  step  and  dreaming  face. 
He  strolled  onward  in  the  fresh  morning  air, 
taking  no  note  of  time  or  place  until  he  found 
himself  standing  on  the  stone  wall  of  Battery 
Park,  looking  out  over  the  swift,  rippling  tide 
of  New  York  Bay,  the  green  shores  of  Staten 
Island  and  Bay  Ridge  showing  dimly  through 
the  early  mists,  and  the  giant  Statue  of  Liberty 
towering  out  of  the  shining  flood  in  solitary 
majesty. 


4i8  EAGLE    BLOOD 

It  was  this  scene  that  had  greeted  his  eyes 
on  his  arrival  in  the  new  world,  and  conflicting 
emotions  arose  within  him  as  he  remembered 
the  strange  feeling  of  loneliness  with  which  he 
first  saw  the  ragged  sky-line  of  the  American 
metropolis  looming  beyond  the  fair  waters. 

He  could  never  be  lonely  in  America  again. 
The  sky,  the  trees,  the  tall  buildings,  the  streets, 
the  swift-walking,  earnest  pedestrians,  all  had 
a  friendly,  familiar  look  now.  The  flag  flut- 
tering so  brightly  in  the  new  sunlight  over  the 
quaint  little  cheese-box  fort  on  Governor's  Island 
was  the  symbol  of  a  people  who  dared  to  live 
largely.  It  had  drawn  twenty  million  recruits 
from  Europe  —  more  than  the  whole  population 
of  Great  Britain  when  the  battle  of  Water- 
loo was  fought,  —  and  even  now  he  could  see 
in  the  Narrows  the  smoke  of  steamers  bearing 
new  pilgrims  from  the  old  world  to  swell  the 
forces  of  democracy.  How  good  and  pleasant  it 
was  ! 

The  voice  of  his  ancestry  cried  against  the 
thought  that  slowly  took  shape  in  him.  An 
American  citizen  ?  Why  not  ?  Why  should 


EAGLE    BLOOD 


419 


he  cling  to  the  empty  honor  of  a  title  won 
by  other  men  ?  What  was  there  in  England 
for  him  but  a  life  of  struggle  to  maintain  a 
rank  that  had  no  root  in  his  own  worth  ? 
Yet  it  was  a  name  gained  bravely  in  the  open 

field :  it  would  stand  while  England  stood.     He 

o 

recalled  his  gentle  mother  as  he  saw  her  last 
in  the  gardens  of  Battlecragie  Castle.  What 
would  she  say  to  him  now  ?  Would  she  not 
bid  him  be  a  man  and  strive  for  manly  things 
in  spite  of  all  ?  —  of  that  he  was  sure.  To  be 
an  American  citizen  was  to  fulfil  the  unwritten 
thought  of  English  history,  to  serve  the  cause 
of  man,  which  was  more  sacred  than  the  interest 
of  monarchs. 

The  face  of  his  queen  came  before  him, — 
honest,  kindly,  worn  with  years ;  his  eyes  grew 
dim,  and  there  was  a  lump  in  his  throat.  Could 
he  forswear  his  venerable  sovereign,  the  pattern 
of  blameless  womanhood,  whose  gentle  hands  had 
been  laid  upon  his  childish  head  in  blessing  ? 

Out  of  the  darkness  of  his  soul  rose  the  image 
of  Helen,  appealing  to  his  pride  of  manhood 
against  his  pride  of  birth.  He  seemed  to  see 


42o  EAGLE    BLOOD 

her  again  as  she  said :  "American  Citizen  is  the 
finest  title  in  the  world.  It's  the  one  I  should 
want  my  husband  to  wear."  Dear  little  patriot ! 
She  little  dreamed  what  her  words  meant  to  him 
or  how  she  would  set  the  tempest  raging  in  his 
bosom.  How  could  she  know  that  her  heart's 
captive  was  the  heir  of  warrior  lords  ?  The 
strength  of  his  love  and  his  youth  swelled  in 
him.  Yes,  she  would  understand  what  it  cost 
him  to  renounce  his  country  and  rank,  she  would 
know  the  victory  he  had  won  over  himself.  He 
would  go  to  her  as  a  man,  wearing  only  the 
honors  he  had  won  in  his  own  right. 

It  was  a  long  and  bitter  moral  struggle,  but 
when  he  reached  his  lawyer's  office  there  was 
peace  in  his  blue  eyes  and  a  smile  on  his  lips. 

"  The  thing  is  perfectly  feasible,"  said  the 
lawyer.  "  Your  service  in  the  United  States 
army  gives  you  the  right  to  become  a  citizen 
at  once.  Ordinarily  an  alien  must  wait  five 
years  for  full  citizenship ;  but  in  your  case, 
being  an  honorably  discharged  soldier  and 
having  lived  in  New  York  for  a  year,  a  simple 
petition  to  the  court  reciting  the  facts  will  be 


EAGLE    BLOOD  421 

sufficient.  Of  course  you  will  have  to  renounce 
your  title  as  well  as  your  nationality." 

"  I   quite  understand  that,"  said  Hugh. 

"  It  is  an  extraordinary  case,  sir ;  the  first  of 
its  kind,  if  my  memory  serves  me  right." 

"There's  Lord  Fairfax." 

"  True ;  but  he  has  not  renounced  his  baron- 
age, he  simply  lives  here.  Besides,  he  was  born 
in  the  United  States." 

"And  I   am  to  be  reborn  here." 

"  This  will  possibly  affect  your  rights  as  heir 
to  the  estate.  Perhaps  it  would  be  better  to 
delay  action  until  I  can  consult  your  London 
solicitor." 

"  The  estate  is  in  the  hands  of  strangers,  mort- 
gaged beyond  recovery.  It  will  never  pay  the 
interest  on  the  family  debts.  I  have  nothing  to 
renounce  but  my  rank  and  my  nationality." 

"  Does  your  lordship  —  " 

"  I  prefer  to  be  known  as  Mr.  Dorsay." 

"  Ah,  yes,  precisely  —  I  understand.  Do  you 
desire  me  to  prepare  the  papers  at  once,  Mr. 
Dorsay?" 

"  At  once." 


422  EAGLE    BLOOD 

That  afternoon  Hugh  sought  out  Mr.  Martin 
at  his  desk  in  the  Mail  office.  The  old  man's 
head  was  surrounded  by  its  customary  cloud  of 
tobacco  smoke,  and  the  kindly  face  was  bent 
over  the  slow-moving  pencil.  In  a  few  simple 
words  Hugh  announced  his  intention  to  become 
a  citizen  and  invited  Mr.  Martin  to  be  present 
in  the  court. 

"  Praise  God !  I'll  be  there,"  said  the  veteran, 
heartily.  "  You'll  never  regret  it,  my  son." 

"  And  Helen  ?  "  said  Hugh.  "  Do  you  think 
she'd  come  ?  " 

"Well,  now — "  He  paused  and  looked 
sharply  at  the  eager  face.  "  I  shouldn't  wonder 
if  she  would.  But,  remember  —  " 

"  I  remember  everything,  Mr.  Martin,  every- 
thing. Her  honor  and  happiness  are  no  dearer 
to  you  than  they  are  to  me." 

"  Any  news  of  Miss  Grush  ?  " 

"  None,"  said  Hugh,  sadly.  "  We've  searched 
everywhere.  My  lawyer  is  now  on  the  track  of 
the  clergyman  who  was  her  confederate.  He 
went  to  England  a  little  while  ago." 

"  Um,    I    see."       Mr.    Martin   puffed    at    his 


EAGLE    BLOOD  423 

pipe  thoughtfully.  "  Ever  strike  you  that  she 
might  have  gone  to  England  ?  " 

"No.     Still,  perhaps —  " 

"  Got  relatives  there,  haven't  you  ?  " 

A  sudden  light  flashed  in  Hugh's  eyes. 

"  By  heaven !  I  never  thought  of  it.  And 
yet,  she  wouldn't  dare  —  " 

"  Dare  ?  "  The  old  man  blew  a  swirl  of  smoke 
straight  out  before  him.  "  That  kind  of  a 
woman  would  trail  through  hell  to  gain  her 
point." 

"  And  the  clergyman  ?  " 

"  Gone  to  help  her,  of  course." 

"  I  think  you're  right,  Mr.  Martin,"  said 
Hugh,  slowly.  "  To-morrow  I'll  tell  you  some- 
thing about  myself  that  will  explain  her  anxiety 
to  claim  my  name  —  something  I've  kept  to 
myself  ever  since  I  came  to  America.  She  may 
not  care  to  be  my  wife  when  I'm  a  plain  Ameri- 
can citizen." 

"  I  don't  quite  catch  your  drift,  my  son." 

"Wait!"  said  Hugh.  "I  think  I  see  light 
at  last." 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE  judge  was  late  in  coming,  and  they  sat 
in  a  corner  of  the  bare  court  room  while  the 
lawyer  arranged  preliminaries  with  the  clerk.  A 
dusty  beam  of  sunlight  came  through  the  un- 
washed window  between  heavy  crimson  curtains 
and  made  a  glory  on  the  dirty  wall.  The  rows 
of  vacant  chairs  and  the  threadbare  carpet  on 
the  floor  gave  a  cheerless  aspect  to  the  place, 
although  a  fresh  nosegay  in  a  glass  of  water  be- 
side the  well-worn  Bible  on  the  bench  of  judg- 
ment lent  a  welcome  note  of  color. 

Now  and  then  the  clerk  peered  over  the 
lawyer's  shoulder  at  the  slim,  brown-eyed  girl 
in  a  soft-trailing  mist  of  pale  violet,  who  looked 
so  happily  up  from  under  the  drooping  brim  of 
her  dainty  hat  at  the  spectacled  patriarch  and  the 
tall,  sun-tanned  young  man  on  either  side  of  her 
—  a  vision  of  youthful  grace  and  beauty  un- 
wonted in  that  dreary  atmosphere. 

424 


EAGLE    BLOODV  425 

"  Helen,  I've  a  confession  to  make,"  said 
Hugh,  "and  I'm  going  to  ask  you"  —  turning 
to  Mr.  Martin  —  "to  let  me  speak  plainly." 
The  muscles  about  his  mouth  quivered.  "  I 
know  I  have  no  right  to  speak  of  the  thing  that 
lies  closest  to  my  heart  —  you  understand — " 
His  voice  choked. 

"Yes,  yes,  my  son,"  muttered  the  father. 
"  It'll  all  come  right  —  all  in  time." 

"And  it  is  because  I  hope  the  day  will  soon 
come  when  I  can  let  my  heart  speak  for  itself 
that  I  am  about  to  engage  in  the  most  serious  act 
of  my  life." 

Her  head  drooped  down  until  the  brim  of  her 
hat  hid  the  rosy  face. 

"  Hugh  !  —  here  ?  in  such  a  place  ?  "  she  pro- 
tested faintly. 

"  It's  but  a  step  from  one  nationality  to  an- 
other," he  continued,  without  answering  her,  "  a 
few  words,  a  whisk  of  the  pen,  and  it's  all  over.  It 
may  be  easy  for  some  men  to  take  that  step,  but 
in  my  own  case  it  is  not  merely  the  choosing  of  a 
new  home,  or  the  acceptance  of  a  new  political 
creed :  it  is  the  extinction  of  a  title  which  twenty 


426  EAGLE    BLOOD 

generations  of  my  blood  have  been  proud  to 
bear." 

"  A  title,  my  son  ?  Why,  what  does  this 
mean  ? "  asked  Mr.  Martin,  in  astonishment. 
Helen  raised  her  head  and  looked  wide-eyed  at 
him. 

"  I  came  to  your  house  under  an  assumed  name 
—  my  dear  mother's  —  but  it  is  the  name  I  intend 
to  carry  to  my  grave,"  he  said,  with  a  sigh.  "  I 
owe  you  an  apology  for  the  deception,  even 
though  it  was  my  only  means  of  carrying  out  an 
honorable  plan  forced  upon  me  by  unexpected 
poverty.  It  may  have  been  a  foolish  idea,  but  it 
was  an  honest  one." 

"  Needn't  tell  me  that,"  said  the  old  man. 

"  I  am  the  Viscount  Delaunay,  heir  to  the  Earl 
of  Castlehurst,  my  grandfather.  We  are  both 
poor.  A  series  of  misfortunes  has  swept  away 
everything  but  our  rank.  Rather  than  live  a  life 
of  shame  and  contract  debts  I  could  never  pay  to 
support  a  title  earned  by  other  men,  I  assumed 
my  mother's  name  and  came  to  New  York  to 
make  my  way  by  my  own  merits.  It's  a  short 
story,  devoid  of  romance  and  —  well,  you  don't 


EAGLE    BLOOD  427 

know  how  glad  I  am  to  tell  it  and  set  myself 
straight  in  your  eyes." 

"  Oh,  Hugh,"  cried  Helen,  with  a  look  of 
pride  and  love,  "  it's  the  most  beautiful  story  I've 
ever  heard,  but "  —  the  soft  voice  shook  a  little 
—  "for  your  own  sake  think  of  what  you  are 
doing.  The  sacrifice  is  too  great.  It's  your 
birthright  —  you  may  go  back  to  England  some 
day  "  —  in  spite  of  all  the  tears  brimmed  in  her  eyes 
as  her  imagination  caught  the  shadow  of  disaster. 

"Think  it  over,  my  boy,"  said  Mr.  Martin. 
"You're  throwing  away  in  a  minute  what  you 
can't  get  back  in  a  lifetime." 

"  But  you  said  that  —  " 

"  Ah,  yes,"  answered  Helen,  turning  away  from 
the  search  of  his  too  candid  eyes,  "  but  how  could 
I  know  that  it  meant  so  much  to  you  ?  " 

"Would  it"  —  he  hesitated  and  dropped  his 
voice  to  a  whisper  —  "  would  it  make  any  differ- 
ence to  you  if  ever  —  you  know  I  can't  speak 
plainly,  Helen"  —  she  raised  one  little  hand  in 
appeal  —  "I  know  it's  not  the  same  with  women  ; 
the  social  prestige  of  rank  is  so  important  some- 
times. And  if  I  thought  that  you  —  " 


428  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  There's  no  reason  why  you  shouldn't  speak, 
sis,"  exclaimed  Mr.  .Martin,  observing  his  daugh- 
ter's deep  agitation.  "  It's  a  matter  that  may 
concern  both  of  your  lives,  and  —  Well,  I  guess 
I'll  take  a  turn  in  the  hallway  for  a  minute  or 
two  ;  only  "  —  his  tone  became  hard  and  precise 
—  "  don't  forget  —  Well,  hang  it !  you're  both 
grown  up,  and  I'm  getting  to  be  an  old  fool." 
Whereat  he  strode  out  of  the  court  room,  leaving 
them  alone. 

"  Am  I  to  call  you  *  my  lord '  or  just  '  Hugh,' 
as  before,"  she  asked,  looking  up. 

"  That  is  for  you  to  decide,  Helen." 

"  Oh,  Hugh,  Hugh,  it's  your  own  life,  your 
own  future,  I  think  of." 

"You  said  once  that  your  husband  could 
have  no  other  title  than  American  citizen." 
His  soul  was  in  his  face.  "  Do  you  say  so 
now  ?  " 

"  I  never  thought  you  could  be  so  shameless 
as  to  resort  to  such  a  stratagem.  It's  —  it's 
simply  cowardly  to  take  advantage  of  me." 

The  wild  rose  color  rioted  in  her  face,  and 
the  white  fingers  twisted  themselves  into  the 


EAGLE    BLOOD  429 

violet  draperies.  Even  the  peeping  clerk  had 
sense  enough  to  turn  his  head  away. 

"  Do  you  say  so  now  ?  "  he  repeated. 

She  raised  her  head,  and  a  look  of  ineffable 
sweetness  came  into  her  face. 

"  Yes,  Hugh,"  she  said. 

"  Amen  !  "  he  answered  soberly. 

"  But,  oh  !  I  wish  I  knew  what  this  trouble 
is  that  hangs  over  you,"  she  whispered,  "  this 
nameless  thing  that  makes  you  talk  in  riddles 
to  me,  this  mystery  that  has  darkened  —  " 

"  It's  all  very  simple,  Helen.  There's  noth- 
ing you  shouldn't  know,  and  I'll  tell  you  now." 

"  There's  the  judge  at  last,"  said  Mr.  Martin, 
hurrying  in ;  "  and  the  clerk's  beckoning  to 
you." 

They  advanced  to  the  wooden  railing  together, 
and  after  a  few  questions  and  answers,  the  clerk 
set  the  Bible  forth  for  the  oath. 

"  I  prefer  the  open  Bible,"  said  Hugh.  "  It's 
a  good  old  custom." 

Running  the  pages  rapidly  through  his  fingers, 
he  opened  the  ragged  volume  at  the  Book  of 
Ruth  and  set  his  hand  upon  one  side  of  the 


430  EAGLE    BLOOD 

page.  In  a  firm,  clear  voice  he  repeated  the 
oath  of  renunciation  and  allegiance.  His  face 
was  pale,  but  his  eyes  shone  with  a  new  tender- 
ness and  pride. 

"  I  have  taken  two  oaths  to-day,"  he  whispered 
to  Helen,  "  one  on  earth  and  the  other  in 
heaven.  You  have  heard  one,  and  I  want  you 
to  see  the  other." 

He  pointed  to  the  spot  on  which  his  hand 
had  rested,  and  she  read  the  promise  of  Ruth  :  — 

"  Intreat  me  not  to  leave  thee,  or  to  return  from  following 
after  thee  :  for  whither  thou  goest,  I  will  go  ;  and"  where  thou 
lodgest,  I  will  lodge  :  thy  people  shall  be  my  people,  and  thy 
God  my  God.  Where  thou  diest,  will  I  die,  and  there  will 
I  be  buried  :  the  Lord  do  so  to  me,  and  more  also,  if  aught 
but  death  part  thee  and  me." 

The  little  head  sank  lower  and  lower,  until 
the  drooping  hat-brim  almost  hid  the  sacred 
page  and  the  red  lips  touched  the  words. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

WHILE  the  heir  of  the  house  of  Castlehurst 
was  vowing  allegiance  on  the  altar  of  democracy, 
William  Remington  sat  in  the  deep  silence  of 
his  well-guarded  office  reading  a  cablegram 
which  a  noiseless  attendant  had  just  placed  on 

his  desk :  — 

"  LONDON. 

"  WILLIAM  REMINGTON,  New  York:  — 
"  Earl  of  Castlehurst  just  died.  His  heir, 
Viscount  Delaunay,  is  living  in  New  York 
under  name  Hugh  Dorsay.  Have  cabled 
him,  but  get  no  answer.  Please  put  him  in 
communication  with  me. 

"  CHADDER,   Solicitor" 

The  banker's  hard  visage  softened  as  he  read 
and  re-read  the  message.  He  whistled  softly, 
an  event  so  unusual  that  the  door  was  gently 
opened  by  a  clerk,  who  closed  it  again  when 
he  saw  his  employer's  cheerful  countenance. 

431 


432  EAGLE    BLOOD 

Experience  of  the  social  limitations  of  wealth, 
and  a  reluctant  recognition  of  the  fashionable 
triumphs  attending  the  marriage  of  American 
daughters  of  wealth  to  titled  aliens,  had  modified 
the  cynical  views  of  Mr.  Remington's  earlier 
years.  After  all,  a  rich  American  husband 
could  bring  nothing  to  his  daughter  but  money, 
and  of  that  she  would  have  no  need.  It  could 
not  be  denied  that  hereditary  rank  was  a  sub- 
stantial thing  from  many  standpoints ;  it  would 
survive  the  loss  of  wealth.  An  ancient  title 
might  accomplish  for  a  woman  in  a  year  what 
money  could  not  compass  in  a  lifetime.  The 
banker's  pride  in  his  beautiful  daughter,  and 
his  ambition  for  her  social  success,  powerfully 
inclined  him  to  the  arguments  of  his  scheming 
spouse ;  and  while  he  pretended  to  sneer  at 
her  ravening  passion  for  coronets  and  castles, 
the  delightful  poison  was  already  at  work  in 
his  own  stolid  mind.  His  recent  business 
operations  in  the  British  metropolis  had  brought 
him  in  contact  with  more  than  one  peer,  and 
he  observed  with  surprise  and  conviction  the 
deference  shown  by  even  the  most  powerful 


EAGLE    BLOOD  433 

and  hard-headed  English  financiers  to  noble- 
men of  moderate  means  and  slight  abilities. 

There  was  no  adumbration  of  sentiment  in 
Mr.  Remington's  slow  conversion  to  his  wife's 
social  ideas.  His  imagination  was  limited  to 
the  utilitarian  aspects  of  life,  and  he  weighed 
men  and  things  according  to  their  practical 
values.  If  a  title  would  open  to  his  daughter 
worldly  distinctions  and  opportunities  other- 
wise inaccessible,  then  a  title  was  worth  having. 

The  intense  struggle  for  wealth  and  commer- 
cial power  had  left  the  banker  without  moral 
or  mental  resources  other  than  those  necessary 
for  his  vast  money-making  schemes.  He 
bought  pictures  and  tapestries,  and  maintained 
a  steam  yacht,  a  country  house,  and  a  box  at 
the  opera,  because  they  ministered  to  the  pleas- 
ure of  his  wife  and  daughter.  Music  and 
painting  bored  him,  the  sea  made  him  ill,  and 
life  in  the  country  meant  an  intolerable  exile 
from  the  scene  of  his  real  interests.  His  seden- 
tary habits  deprived  him  of  the  physical  vigor 
and  resilience  indispensable  to  the  enjoyment 
of  athletic  sports,  and  his  deliberate  tempera- 


434  EAGLE    BLOOD 

ment  shrank  from  the  speculative  follies  of 
horse  racing.  He  knew  little  of  politics  and 
less  of  literature.  In  short,  his  moral  bounda- 
ries were  parochial  and  devoid  of  beauty. 
Midas-like,  he  learned  the  secret  of  turning 
everything  into  gold,  but  starved  his  nature. 

The  sudden  discovery  of  Hugh's  real  rank 
stirred  the  millionnaire's  sluggish  imagination. 
With  an  English  earl  for  a  son-in-law  he  might 
open  doors  as  yet  sealed  against  him.  Such 
an  alliance  could  be  made  a  powerful  weapon 
in  the  industrial  invasion  of  England. 

He  crumpled  the  cablegram  in  his  hand, 
smoothed  it  out  again,  and  pondered  the  words. 
No,  there  could  be  no  mistake.  The  circum- 
stances of  Hugh's  arrival  in  New  York,  his 
letter  of  introduction  from  Professor  Muhlen- 
berg,  his  reticence  about  his  family,  his  aristo- 
cratic face  and  figure,  and  his  obviously  gentle 
breeding,  all  corroborated  Mr.  Chadder's  message. 
The  Earl  of  Castlehurst !  Mr.  Remington 
allowed  his  squat  body  to  snuggle  back  in  the 
leather  chair.  He  rubbed  his  hands  and  laughed 
softly  to  himself. 


EAGLE    BLOOD  435 

Within  the  hour  he  returned  to  his  house 
and  broke  the  astounding  news  to  the  partner 
of  his  bosom,  who,  in  turn,  whispered  it  in  the 
ear  of  her  daughter,  whereat  the  blushing  heiress 
threw  herself  into  her  mother's  arms,  and  kissed 
her  rapturously,  and  burst  into  tears. 

"  We  must  have  him  to  dinner  to-night," 
said  Mr.  Remington,  with  a  knowing  look. 
"  He  should  learn  the  news  under  the  most 
propitious  circumstances." 

"  But  we're  having  a  late  afternoon  party  for 
Mrs.  Grant's  children  —  the  house  will  be  simply 
filled  with  the  tots." 

"  It  can't  be  helped,  Fanny,  we'll  have  to 
get  our  dinner  guests  by  telephone  and  ask  them 
to  come  early  to  see  the  little  ones  before  they  go. 
It  would  never  do  to  let  this  opportunity  slip." 

"And  he  doesn't  know  he's  an  earl  yet?" 

"  He'll  know  it  for  the  first  time  to-night." 

"  Oh,  you  dear,  dear  old  darling !  "  cried  the 
excited  girl,  falling  upon  the  astonished  banker 
and  kissing  him  in  an  ecstasy  of  joy. 

"  I'm  glad  Jack's  away,"  said  Mr.  Remington, 
thoughtfully.  "  He'd  spoil  everything." 


436  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  And  to  think  we  never  suspected  !  "  cried 
the  heiress.  "  Just  think  !  One  of  the  oldest  titles 
in  England !  I  wonder  why  he  never  told  us." 

"  Oh,  some  boyish  prank,  you  may  be  sure. 
Now  that  I  remember  it,  he  did  say  something 
to  me  once  about  his  ambition  to  make  a  place 
in  the  world  for  himself." 

"A  very  proper  sentiment,  I'm  sure,"  ob- 
served Mrs.  Remington,  with  oracular  solemnity. 

"  And  we  never  dreamed !  Oh,  papa !  I'm 
simply  crazy  about  it." 

"  I  telephoned  to  Bradshaw's,"  said  Mr. 
Remington,  dryly,  "  and  they  say  the  old  earl 
hadn't  a  dollar  —  property  mortgaged  up  to  the 
limit.  But,  nous  allong  cbawnjay  toosy  la  —  I 
never  could  manage  French,  my  dear,  but  it's 
all  right ;  we'll  change  it,  just  the  same." 

"  The  hand  of  God  is  in  it,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Remington,  turning  her  hawk  eyes  toward  the 
ceiling. 

"  Um,"  answered  the  old  man,  grimly. 

"  I  always  felt  that  he  was  different  from  other 
young  men." 

"  Um." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  437 

"  So  courtly,  so  distinguished,  so  noble  in 
his  mind  and  person." 

"  It  isn't  necessary,  my  dear,"  said  the  banker. 
"  He's  not  here  now,  and  you  might  save  it 
for  this  evening." 

"  How  can  you  be  so  coarse  at  a  moment 
like  this  ?  "  exclaimed  the  matron,  loftily. 

"  Bah  !  "  he  retorted,  with  a  gesture  of  im- 
patience, "  what's  the  use  of  hypocrisy  ?  He's 
a  good-looking,  well-mannered  fellow,  no  better 
and  no  worse  than  a  thousand  young  men  I 
could  pick  up  here  in  a  day's  walk  —  but  he's 
an  earl,  and  that  makes  all  the  difference.  Don't 
talk  nonsense.  You  wouldn't  think  of  him  for 
a  son-in-law  if  he  were  an  American." 

"  Why,  papa,  you  talk  as  if  I  were  being  sold 
on  the  auction  block,"  cried  Miss  Remington, 
indignantly. 

"  Well,  well,  Fanny,"  he  said,  with  a  rough 
show  of  tenderness,  as  he  regarded  the  beautiful 
face,  "  I  used  to  have  other  ideas  about  your 
future,  but  —  Oh,  well,  it's  best  after  all  as  it 
is,  perhaps,  and  I  suppose  we  ought  to  act  as 
if  it  were  a  love  match.  It  comes  to  the  same 


438  EAGLE    BLOOD 

thing  in  the  end,  my  girl ;  the  heart  interest 
doesn't  last  forever." 

"  But  aren't  you  taking  a  good  deal  for  granted  ? 
Mr.  Dorsay — " 

"  Lord  Castlehurst." 

"  Lord  Castlehurst  has  never  spoken  to  me 
about  —  " 

"  Never  fear,  Fanny,  we've  enough  to  gild  a 
hundred  coronets  and  to  spare.  He  hasn't  been 
enjoying  the  society  of  the  handsomest  heiress 
in  America  for  nothing.  It's  all  a  matter  of 
hard  cash." 

"  Would  you  corrupt  your  own  child  ? " 
groaned  Mrs.  Remington,  rolling  her  eyes  upward. 

"  Confound  it ! "  roared  the  old  man,  wrath- 
fully,  "  what  do  you  expect  me  to  say  ? " 

"  I  expect  you,  Mr.  Remington,  to  act  like 
a  father,"  said  the  matron,  indefinitely. 

"  I'll  do  my  part  when  the  time  comes,"  he 
growled.  "  Now  you  do  yours.  See  that  the 
dinner  is  something  unusual  ;  ask  Delmonico's 
for  suggestions." 

"  We  might  invite  the  Bradfords  and  the  Gay- 
lors,"  suggested  Miss  Remington. 


EAGLE   BLOOD  439 

"Just  the  people." 

"  And  the  Van   Pelts." 

"That  would  never  do.  Old  Van  Pelt's 
chairman  of  the  South  African  Emancipation 
Committee." 

"Judge  O'Connor." 

"Nonsense;  he's  a  sort  of  a  Fenian.  Better 
get  the  De  Lanceys  and  the  Stevensons  — 
they're  prominent  in  the  Anglo-American 
League.  Then  there's  young  Hodley,  —  a 
frightful  ass,  but  a  cousin  of  Lady  Pendleton 
—  we  might  invite  him." 

"  We  can  ask  some  of  the  grown-ups  to  stay 
when  the  children's  party  breaks  up,"  added 
Mrs.  Remington. 

After  that  the  great  house  was  a  scene  of 
excitement  and  confusion  as  the  preparations 
for  the  dinner  were  pressed.  The  invitations 
were  given  by  telephone,  with  alluring  hints 
of  a  remarkable  event  which  was  to  take  place, 
and  acceptances  were  demanded  as  a  matter  of 
honor.  The  young  heiress  herself  talked  to 
Hugh  over  the  wire,  and  persuaded  him  to 
come,  in  spite  of  his  engagements  at  the  office, 


440  EAGLE    BLOOD 

by  promising  to  tell  him  a  surprising  piece  of 
news  that  would  affect  his  whole  life.  Thinking 
that  some  clew  to  the  hiding-place  of  Miss 
Grush  had  been  discovered,  he  agreed  to  come 
early  and  stay  to  the  dinner. 

Mother  and  daughter  racked  their  brains  for 
original  ideas.  British  flags  surrounded  by 
American  beauty  roses  were  ordered,  English 
pheasants,  ices  moulded  in  the  form  of  coronets 
—  a  conception  of  Delmonico's  chef —  bon-bon 
boxes  adorned  with  the  Queen's  portrait,  and 
even  a  figure  of  Britannia,  in  Chelsea  porcelain, 
which  the  delighted  girl  found  in  a  fashionable 
antique  shop. 

It  meant  hard  work  and  much  ingenuity  to 
arrange  a  worthy  feast  in  such  a  short  space 
of  time,  but  womanly  wit  and  the  resources  of 
wealth  bridged  every  difficulty,  and  long  -before 
the  guests  arrived,  the  great  Flemish-oak  din- 
ing room  had  been  transformed  into  a  scene  of 
beauty,  with  blossoming  branches  depending 
from  the  dark,  cool  ceiling ;  roses  mingling  with 
trailing  vines  on  the  walls,  fairy  garlands  twin- 
ing about  the  carved  pillars,  and  costly  vases 


EAGLE    BLOOD  441 

running  over  with  floral  loveliness.  Here 
and  there  in  the  dazzle  of  silver  and  glass  on 
the  snowy  table  were  little  British  flags,  and 
in  the  centre  stood  the  image  of  Britannia,  set 
on  a  wonderful  base  of  white  jade,  with  the 
heraldic  crest  of  the  Castlehursts  —  copied  from 
Debrett's  Peerage  —  outlined,  against  it  in  tiny 
flowers. 

Hugh  arrived  just  as  the  lights  were  being 
lit  and  the  children  were  swirling  through  the 
vast  drawing-room  in  a  romping  dance,  their 
shrill  voices  ringing  high  above  the  merry  lilt 
and  thrum  of  the  music.  Mrs.  Remington's 
greeting  amazed  him.  The  green  eyes  were 
almost  affectionate.  She  held  his  hand  when 
he  would  have  withdrawn  it,  and  smiled  upon 
him  with  motherly  intimacy.  Miss  Remington 
received  him  with  shy  glances,  a  blushing  air 
of  self-consciousness,  and  pretty  accusations  of 
neglect  murmured  in  his  bewildered  ear.  Why 
had  he  remained  away  so  long?  It  was  fully 
two  days  since  anybody  had  had  a  sight  of  him. 
Had  he  no  thought  of  the  feelings  of  others  ? 
He  could  scarcely  believe  his  senses  as  he 


442  EAGLE    BLOOD 

entered  the  resplendent  drawing-room,  with 
the  stately  girl  beside  him,  when  Mr.  Reming- 
ton rushed  forward  with  outstretched  hands 
and  a  glad  cry  of  welcome. 

The  sudden  change  from  friendly  condescen- 
sion to  deference  and  flattery  mystified  Hugh. 
He  was  the  centre  of  attention.  His  lightest 
word  was  listened  to  with  marked  respect, 
his  smile  was  the  signal  for  answering  smiles. 
Hitherto  he  had  been  treated  as  a  welcome  but 
negligible  factor  in  the  social  functions  of  the 
house ;  now  he  was  the  hero  and  favorite.  He 
was  introduced  to  the  other  guests  ceremoniously. 
Even  the  children  were  requested  to  shake  hands 
with  him,  and  as  they  trooped  about  his  tall 
figure  in  the  middle  of  the  room  he  was  surprised 
to  find  the  banker  looking  at  him  with  an  unmis- 
takable air  of  pride  and  satisfaction.  But  he  was 
not  to  be  long  in  doubt  as  to  the  meaning  of 
it  all. 

The  children  were  presently  gathered  in  the 
rear  part  of  the  room  for  a  new  game,  while  the 
adults  stood  in  a  group  in  the  front  to  watch 
the  dainty  scene.  The  little  ones  formed  a  ring 


EAGLE    BLOOD  443 

and  noisily  debated  the  advisability  of  "  Ring-a- 
ring-a-rosy  "  or  "  London  Bridge." 

Mr.  Remington  drew  a  paper  from  his  pocket, 
cleared  his  throat  with  a  portentous  cough,  and 
turned  to  his  guests. 

"  My  friends,"  he  began,  in  a  voice  that  silenced 
the  childish  babble,  "  you  are  all  aware  that  for  a 
long  time  my  house  has  been  honored  by  the  fre- 
quent presence  of  a  young  man  whose  high  charac- 
ter and  noble  qualities  have  endeared  him  to  us." 

The  old  man  paused  and  looked  benevolently 
at  Hugh,  who  was  overwhelmed  with  embarrass- 
ment to  find  himself  the  target  for  all  eyes. 

"  I  need  not  say,"  continued  the  banker,  sweep- 
ing the  eager  company  with  his  glance,  "  that  my 
feelings  toward  him  have  been  those  of  a  father 
rather  than  a  friend." 

Hugh's  face  was  a  study.  Mrs.  Remington 
sighed  and  wiped  her  eyes.  The  queenly  Fanny 
looked  at  her  mother,  and  having  a  sense  of 
humor,  was  inclined  to  laugh. 

"  This  dear  friend  came  to  us  in  the  modest 
character  of  a  private  gentleman,  wisely  preferring 
to  seek  his  associations  among  those  who,  how- 


444  EAGLE    BLOOD 

ever  they  may  esteem  rank  and   title,  know  how 
to  appreciate  and  honor  unassuming  worth." 

The  ring  of  children  began  to  revolve,  and 
as  the  dancers  tripped  around,  a  sweet  chant  in 
piping  treble  filled  the  room :  — 

"  London  Bridge  is  burning  down, 
Burning  down,  burning  down, 
London  Bridge  is  burning  down, 
My  fair  lady." 

"  It  is  my  privilege,"  said  the  old  man,  holding 
up  the  crumpled  paper  and  raising  his  voice  to 
make  himself  heard,  — "  it  is  my  privilege  to 
announce  that  the  Viscount  Delaunay,  whom  we 
have  known  as  Mr.  Dorsay,  has,  by  the  death  of 
his  distinguished  grandfather,  become  the  Earl  of 
Castlehurst.  My  lord,"  —  turning  to  Hugh, 
whose  face  paled,  —  "here  is  the  cablegram." 

With  a  childish  halloo  the  dancers  came  sweep- 
ing across  the  carpet,  and  surrounding  Miss 
Remington,  whirled  about  her,  singing  their  gay 

chorus : — 

"  What' 11  we  do  to  build  it  up, 

Build  it  up,  build  it  up  ? 
What' 11  we  do  to  build  it  up, 
My  fair  lady?" 


"'LONDON   BRIDGE    IS   BURNING 


EAGLE    BLOOD  445 

"  'Sssh  !  "  commanded  Mrs.  Remington,  shak- 
ing her  finger  at  the  circle  of  laughing,  rosy  faces, 
as  Hugh  seized  the  paper  and  read  the  message. 
The  children  ceased  from  singing  and  silently 
caught  hands  about  him,  rising  on  tiptoe  in  their 
eagerness  to  resume  the  romp.  He  drew  himself 
to  his  full  height  and  turned  upon  the  hushed 
group  a  countenance  full  of  perplexity. 

"  I'm  really  sorry,  Mr.  Remington,  that  it 
should  have  been  considered  necessary  to  an- 
nounce the  death  of  my  grandfather  in  this 
formal  manner,"  he  said  in  a  quiet  voice.  "It 
is,  of  course,  a  shock  to  me,  although  our  rela- 
tions were  unfortunately  strained.  But  you  have 
made  a  mistake  —  I'm  not  the  Earl  of  Castle- 
hurst." 

"  Not  the  earl !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Remington, 
with  a  gasp. 

"What?"  cried  the  banker,  purpling  with 
indignation. 

"  No,  indeed,  I'm  a  good  American  citizen.  I 
was  naturalized  this  morning.  That  extinguished 
the  title." 

Had    a    thunderbolt    descended    through    the 


446  EAGLE    BLOOD 

painted  ceiling  it  could  not  have  caused  more 
consternation  than  Hugh's  simple  announcement. 
A  moment  before  Miss  Remington  had  faced 
him  with  a  smile  of  admiration,  which  changed  to 

o 

a  haggard  stare.  Her  mother  started,  with  a  sigh 
of  horror.  Young  Mr.  Hodley  was  ill-mannered 
enough  to  snigger,  and  his  "  Oh,  Lord  !  "  sent  the 
hot  blood  rushing  to  the  banker's  temples. 

"Why,  what  jest  is  this?"  said  the  old  man, 
with  a  look  of  rage. 

Hugh  surveyed  his  angry  host  with  an  expres- 
sion of  wondering  surprise.  His  steady  blue  eyes 
met  the  furious  glare  without  flinching.  The 
encircling  children  were  tugging  at  his  coat,  their 
little  feet  tapping  the  floor  in  frolic  fever  and 
their  pretty  faces  protesting  saucily  against  the 
interruption  of  their  sport. 

"  It's  no  jest,  sir,"  he  said,  "  and  I'm  at  a  loss 
to  understand  why  you  should  consider  it  so. 
Of  course  it's  very  embarrassing  to  me  to  explain 
matters  in  this  semi-public  way,  but  your  attitude 
compels  me  to  speak  plainly." 

"  Oh,  Lord  !  "  repeated  young  Mr.  Hodley,  in 
an  audible  whisper.  Mrs.  Remington  seized  her 


EAGLE    BLOOD  447 

daughter's  hands  and  drew  her  away.  The 
banker  eyed  the  expatriated  peer  in  stern  silence. 
"  Mr.  Remington,"  continued  Hugh,  calmly, 
"  when  you  first  saw  me  in  Westminster  Abbey 
I  was  looking  for  the  last  time  on  the  banner  of 
my  house.  The  dust  you  saw  on  that  banner 
wasn't  got  by  trailing  on  the  ground.  It  was 
dust  of  the  sloth  that  brought  poverty  —  yes, 
poverty,  but  honest  poverty  —  to  my  family. 
Rather  than  live  a  life  of  sham  and  wear  a  title 
that  I  could  not  support  with  dignity,  I  chose  to 
come  to  a  country  in  which  all  men  are  equals. 
I  owe  all  I  have  and  all  I  am  to  that  country,  and 
God  being  my  judge,  I'll  bear  true  allegiance  to  it." 
As  he  ceased,  the  dancers  swung  around  him, 
and  the  childish  song  swelled  out  trium- 
phantly :  — 

"  Build  it  up  with  brick  and  stone, 
Brick  and  stone,  brick  and  stone, 
Build  it  up  with  brick  and  stone, 
My  fair  lady." 

cf  For  God's  sake,  take  them  away,"  roared 
Mr.  Remington,  and  as  the  pouting  roisterers 
were  led  out  of  the  room,  he  turned  to  Hugh 


448  EAGLE    BLOOD 

sourly.  "  There  is  no  necessity  for  further 
explanation,"  he  said.  "  The  fact  of  your 
citizenship  is  sufficient." 

"  He's  only  an  American,  after  all,"  observed 
Mr.  De  Lancey,  in  an  undertone  of  disgust. 

"  Isn't  that  enough  ?  "  asked  Hugh,  whose 
keen  ear  caught  the  remark. 

"  Oh,  quite,  quite,  I'm  sure,"  said  Mr. 
De  Lancey,  reddening  at  the  thrust. 

"  I'm  simply  de-light-ed  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Bradford,  darting  a  malicious  glance  at  her 
tragic  hostess.  "  Let  me  congratulate  you,  Mr. 
Dorsay.  It's  so  romantic." 

"  Hello,  Hugh,"  cried  Captain  Remington, 
bursting  into  the  room  with  outstretched  hand. 
"  Just  got  back  from  Washington  in  time  to 
hear  the  news.  Threw  away  an  earldom  to 
become  an  American  citizen !  By  George,  I 
envy  the  country  that  can  breed  men  like  you. 
Isn't  it  magnificent,  father  ?  " 

"  Very !  "  said  the  old  man. 

"  There's  romance  and  chivalry  for  you, 
Fanny,"  added  the  impetuous  officer.  "  There's 
the  real  thing." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  449 

"  Charming  !  "  lisped   Mrs.   Stevenson. 

"  Oh !  I  do  congratulate  you,  Mr.  Dorsay," 
said  Miss  Remington,  impulsively  offering  her 
hand.  "  I  think  you  are  a  good,  brave  gen- 
tleman." 

"As  congratulations  seem  to  be  in  order,  I 
suppose  we  should  all  welcome  Mr.  Dorsay 
to  his  —  er  —  to  his  new  station  in  life,"  observed 
Mr.  Remington,  coldly.  "  The  thing's  done, 
and,  after  all,  it's  a  matter  of  taste.  There  are 
worse  things  than  American  citizenship." 

As  the  guests  recovered  from  the  shock  of 
the  incident  and  a  confused  babble  of  whispers 
succeeded  polite  silence,  Hugh  approached  Mrs. 
Remington. 

"  I  trust  you  will  excuse  me  from  remaining 
to  dinner,"  he  said.  "  The  news  of  my  grand- 
father's death  —  " 

"We  shall  miss  you  so  much,"  she  mur- 
mured, her  green  eyes  glowing  with  malevolence. 

And  so  the  dinner  was  eaten  without  Hugh's 
presence. 

"  Never  saw  such  a  ghastly  affair,"  said  young 
Mr.  Hodley,  the  next  day.  "It  was  positively 


450  EAGLE    BLOOD 

tragic.  The  Remingtons  hadn't  a  word  to 
say,  not  even  when  that  low  ruffian,  Jack  Rem- 
ington, made  coarse  jokes  about  the  British 
flags  and  the  statue  of  Britannia.  But  when 
the  iced  coronets  were  served,  —  oh,  Lord  !  And 
the  deuce  is  that  nobody  can  understand  why 
What's-his-name  was  such  an  ass  as  to  do  it." 


CHAPTER   XIX 

"  CAN  you  remember  anything  about  her, 
Mr.  Irkins  ? "  asked  Mr.  Martin,  leaning  on 
the  arm  of  the  sick  man's  chair,  and  watching 
the  feverish  eyes  that  glittered  under  the  gaunt 
brow. 

"  Nothing,"  said  the  invalid,  wearily.  "  Ever 
since  that  blow  here "  —  he  raised  a  wasted 
hand  and  touched  the  great  scar  on  his  head 
— "  my  mind  has  been  blank  as  to  a  good 
many  subjects." 

"  It's  so  important,"  urged  the  veteran,  anx- 
iously. "I'm  absolutely  certain  that  this  mys- 
terious Countess  of  Castlehurst  mentioned  in 
the  cable  news  is  the  woman  who  tricked  Dor- 
say  into  the  sham  marriage.  If  you'd  only 
think  hard,  Mr.  Irkins;  the  slightest  clew 
might  save  him." 

"  Her  assault  on  me  was  a  felony,  yet  it 
would  be  hard  to  prove  an  intent  to  kill.  The 
English  are  so  strict  about  their  extradition  laws." 

451 


452  EAGLE    BLOOD 

He  leaned  his  head  back  among  the  cushions 
and  stared  at  the  ceiling,  as  if  he  were  search- 
ing for  the  secret  of  memory  there. 

"  I  can't  remember ;  and  my  head  is  throb- 
bing again,"  he  complained,  drawing  his  hand 
across  his  shrivelled  face,  and  letting  it  fall 
weakly  on  his  breast.  "  Her  name  gives  me 
a  curiously  painful  sense  of  horror  —  like  the 
sight  of  a  snake — and  yet  I  can't  recall  her. 
What  was  she  like,  Martin  ?  " 

"Tall,  thin,  black  hair,  black  eyes,  bony 
features  —  something  like  an  Arab  or  Indian 
—  soft  voice  —  " 

"  No,  its  useless  —  useless." 

"  My  God  !  what  a  situation  !  "  groaned  Mr. 
Martin,  with  a  gesture  of  despair.  "  Think  of 
what  it  means  to  Dorsay ! " 

"Ah,  Dorsay,  Dorsay,"  echoed  Mr.  Irkins, 
with  a  smile.  "  Like  my  own  son,  Martin. 
And  he  gave  up  an  earldom  without  a 
regret  ? " 

"  Never  moved  an  eyelash,  sir.  It  was  a 
beautiful  sight.  Even  the  judge  left  the  bench 
to  shake  his  hand.  'The  seeds  of  death  can- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  453 

not  germinate  in  this  nation,  Mr.  Dorsay,'  he 
said,  f  so  long  as  it  can  draw  men  like  you.' ' 

" '  Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world.  A  city  that 
is  set  on  an  hill  cannot  be  hid,' "  muttered  Mr. 
Irkins. 

"  Ay." 

"  He'll  be  my  heir,  Martin ;  I've  no  chil- 
dren. He'll  be  your  employer  some  day.  It 
won't  be  a  bad  thing  to  have  a  son-in-law  — " 

"  Don't,  don't,"  pleaded  the  old  man.  "  It's 
like  thrusting  a  knife  in  my  heart.  My  girl 
—  you've  never  seen  her  —  and  this  thing,  I 
dare  not  tell  her." 

"If  you  only  had  a  photograph  of  Miss 
Crush  it  might  awaken  —  " 

"  Great  heavens  !  why  didn't  I  think  of  it 
before  ? "  Mr.  Martin  thrust  his  hand  in  his 
pocket.  "  Here,  here  she  is,  damn  her ! "  — 
handing  the  faded  portrait  to  the  invalid  — 
"  and  there's  not  her  like  this  side  of  hell." 

A  ghastly  change  came  over  the  sunken  face 
of  the  sick  editor,  as  he  looked  at  the  smiling, 
treacherous  countenance  of  the  adventuress. 
His  bluish  lip  hung  loosely,  and  his  great 


454  EAGLE    BLOOD 

eyes  seemed  to  blaze  from  their  dark  caverns ; 
his  white,  hollowed  features  twitched.  The  scar 
on  his  head  was  a  vivid  line  of  crimson. 

"  Bar —  Barb —  Barbara  —  "  he  stammered  ex- 
citedly. 

"That's  if,  Mr.  I rkins— Barbara  Crush." 

"Barbara  Baird." 

"Grush!  Crush!" 

"  Barbara  Baird,"  repeated  the  invalid,  trem- 
bling violently.  "She  —  she  ruined  my  younger 
brother.  Her  husband  —  John  Baird  —  forger, 
convict  —  in  Joliet  prison.  A-a-ah  ! "  he 
screamed,  "  I  remember  now.  I  was  going  to 
tell  Dorsay,  and  she  struck  me  down  and  — 
what  ?  eh  ?  —  what  am  I  talking  about,  Mar- 
tin ? "  His  eyes  dulled  and  wandered.  "  This 
photograph,  eh  ?  —  No,  I  can't  remember  any- 
thing about  her."  A  strained,  vacant  look 
revealed  the  sudden  extinction  of  memory. 

It  was  a  mere  flash  of  the  crippled  brain,  but 
it  lit  up  the  dark  mystery. 

Not  even  the  oldest  member  of  the  Mail  staff 
had  ever  seen  Mr.  Martin  in  such  a  state  of 


EAGLE   BLOOD  455 

hilarious  excitement.  He  joked  and  laughed 
and  moved  through  the  office  with  the  springy 
step  of  youth.  But  he  was  busy  —  no  man  had 
ever  seen  him  busier.  He  wrote  long  telegrams, 
drove  the  telephone  operators  to  distraction,  and 
searched  old  newspaper  files.  As  he  went  about, 
he  hummed  and  whistled,  explaining  his  indus- 
try to  no  man. 

His  message  to  the  warden  of  the  Joliet 
prison  was  answered  promptly.  John  Baird, 
convicted  of  forgery  in  Chicago  and  sentenced 
to  eight  years'  imprisonment,  had  served  his 
term  and  was  discharged.  He  was  a  married 
man ;  wife's  name,  Barbara ;  address  unknown. 
His  second  message  elicited  the  information  that 
the  convict's  abiding-place  was  known  only  to 
the  chief  of  police  of  Chicago.  A  telegram  to 
that  official  referred  the  inquirer  to  a  New  York 
lawyer.  Mr.  Martin  telephoned  to  the  lawyer, 
who  explained  that  John  Baird,  after  vainly 
searching  for  his  wife,  had  gone  to  London  in 
the  hope  of  finding  work.  He  could  be  found 
at  The  Gray  Dog,  a  lodging-house  in  White- 
chapel  Road.  His  long  confinement  and  the 


456  EAGLE    BLOOD 

cruel  circumstances  in  which  his  wife  —  for 
whose  sake  he  had  committed  forgery  —  aban- 
doned him  had  weakened  his  mind,  and  he  was 
subject  to  violent  fits  of  anger. 

When  Hugh  reached  the  office,  after  leaving 
the  Remingtons  and  their  guests  in  consterna- 
tion, he  found  Mr.  Martin  in  a  state  of  joy 
verging  on  delirium.  His  hand  was  seized  and 
shaken  until  it  ached.  Then  he  was  embraced, 
pounded  on  the  shoulder,  and  poked  in  the  ribs. 
The  old  man's  laugh  was  uproarious  and  con- 
tagious ;  Hugh  found  himself  laughing,  too, 
without  knowing  why. 

"  We've  got  the  hell-cat  cornered  at  last," 
cried  Mr.  Martin,  "  and  we'll  singe  the  hair  off 
her." 

"  You  don't  really  mean  —  " 

"  I  do,  I  do,  my  son  !  " 

"  Miss  Crush  ?  " 

"  Got  her  dead  as  Caesar." 

"  You've  discovered  —  " 

"  That  she's  Mrs.  John  Baird." 

"What?" 

"  The  wife  of  an  ex-convict,  who  is  still  living." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  457 

"  Then  I'm  "  —  Hugh  looked  bewildered  — 
"I'm  not  —  " 

"You're  the  finest  young  bachelor  in  New 
York,  my  boy." 

"  God  !  What  an  escape !  How  did  you 
find  it  out?" 

"  I'll  tell  you  that  when  I've  finished  a  little 
matter  I've  been  working  on.  Meanwhile  I'd 
like  your  opinion  of  this  as  a  neat  and  suitable 
message  to  your  solicitor."  And  he  handed  a 
cablegram  to  Hugh,  who  read  it :  — 

"  CHADDER,  London : 

"  Woman  claiming  to  be  Countess  Castlehurst 
is  fugitive  from  justice ;  wanted  in  New  York  for 
felonious  assault.  She  is  wife  of  John  Baird, 
discharged  convict,  at  present  living  Gray  Dog 
lodging-house,  Whitechapel  Road,  London.  You 
can  simplify  matters  by  sending  her  address  to 
her  husband. 

"HUGH    DORSAY." 

"It  beats  hell  how  things  do  work  out,"  said 
Mr.  Martin.  "  My  !  oh,  my  !  I'd  give  a  thou- 
sand dollars  to  be  there  when  they  meet." 


CHAPTER   XX 

THE  clouds  hung  low  over  London,  and  a 
damp  wind  whipped  through  Jermyn  Street, 
tossing  the  black  crape  on  the  door  of  the  late 
Lord  Castlehurst's  lodgings  and  creaking  the 
sign-boards  on  their  rusty  hinges,  —  a  bleak, 
dolorous  day,  rawly  suggestive  of  rain,  with  no 
hint  of  summer  green  in  the  prevailing  gray,  in 
which  the  ruddy  light  of  firesides,  seen  through 
shut  windows,  intensified  the  outside  dreariness. 

"  A  man  to  see  Lady  Castlehurst ;  won't  give 
'is  name,  m'  lady."  The  meagre  little  butler 
stood  blinking  expectantly  before  his  mistress, 
who  continued  to  write  at  her  desk  for  a  moment 
and  then  turned  in  her  chair  with  a  yawn  of 
indifference. 

"  A  man,  did  you  say  ?  " 

"  Yes,  m'  lady." 

"  Something  about  the  earl's  funeral  ?  " 

"  I  think  not,  m'  lady.     The  undertaker's  man 
458 


EAGLE    BLOOD  459 

is  downstairs  now  arrangin'  for  his  lordship's 
'atchment  to  be  put  over  the  door." 

"  What  does  he  want,  Thompson  ?  " 

"  Don't  know,  m'  lady ;  'e  says  it's  very  par- 
tic'ler  private.  I  think  "  —  the  butler  hesitated  — 
'e's  an  American  ;  talks  like  one." 

"  Why,  it  must  be  Mr.  Frewen,  the  clergy- 
man who  came  with  me  the  other  day  —  " 

"  Not  'im,  m'  lady.     This  one's  tall." 

"And  an  American?" 

"  I  think  so." 

"Well,  don't  stand  chattering  there."  She 
threw  the  pen  from  her  impatiently.  "  Show  the 
person  in.  And  Thompson  —  " 

"  Yes,  m'  lady." 

"If  Mr.  Chadder  calls,  tell  him  that  the 
Countess  of  Castlehurst  can't  be  seen  and 
that  the  family  affairs  —  you  won't  forget, 
Thompson?  —  " 

"  No,  m'  lady." 

"  —  that  the  family  affairs  are  in  the  hands  of 
her  solicitor." 

The  butler  withdrew,  with  a  melancholy  air 
and  downcast  eyes.  There  was  an  interval  of 


460  EAGLE    BLOOD 

silence.  Then  footsteps  were  heard  on  the  stair- 
case. As  the  sound  reached  her  ear  she  started 
and  listened  intently.  A  timid  knock  preceded 
the  opening  of  the  door,  and  the  stranger  entered. 

He  was  a  tall,  angular,  loose-built  man,  whose 
clothes  hung  awkwardly  on  his  powerful  frame. 
His  emaciated  countenance,  half-hid  by  an 
unkempt  black  beard,  had  a  wolfish  sharpness. 
The  deep-set,  sullen  eyes  gave  him  a  singular 
expression  of  repressed  ferocity.  His  arms  were 
long  and  the  hands  white  and  fine. 

"  You  wished  to  see  me  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered  in  a  hoarse  voice. 

"  Well,  what  can  I  do  for  you  ? "  He  was 
staring  at  her  fiercely,  and  she  tapped  the  carpet 
with  her  foot  nervously.  "  Come,  what  is  it  ?  " 

He  folded  his  arms  across  his  breast  and  con- 
tinued to  stare.  His  eyes  were  bloodshot.  The 
hairs  of  his  beard  bristled  visibly  with  the  mus- 
cular play  of  his  jaws. 

"  You  don't  know  me  ?  "  The  voice  seemed 
to  come  from  a  cave. 

"  Know  you  ?     Why,  of  course  I  don't." 

She  glanced  up  sharply,  with  a  look  of  annoy- 


EAGLE    BLOOD  461 

ance,  not  unmixed  with  fear,  at  the  uncouth, 
sinister  figure. 

"Do  I  remind  you  of  any  one  you  knew  — 
years  and  years  ago  ?  " 

She  had  turned  her  face  away,  but  her  head 
turned  slowly  back  and  her  black  eyes  crept 
sidewise  at  him. 

"  Barbara  Baird  !  " 

With  a  little  scream  she  leaped  to  her  feet  and 
met  his  eyes. 

"Jack  !  "  she  gasped,  with  a  shudder.  "  How 
did  you  find  me  ?  I  thought  you  were  dead. 
I  thought  — "  The  words  died  away,  leaving 
her  lips  dry  and  blue. 

"  Never  mind  how  I  found  you,"  he  said  sav- 
agely, with  a  quick  step  forward  that  drew  a 
suppressed  sound  of  terror  from  her.  "  I'm 
here  and  that's  enough.  You  don't  seem  very 
glad  to  see  me." 

"But  you  don't"  —  she  stammered  —  "you 
don't  understand  —  " 

"  Don't  I,  though  ?  "  he  growled,  with  an 
oath. 

"  How  could  I    know   you  were   alive,  Jack  ? 


462  EAGLE    BLOOD 

They  told  me  you  were  dying,  when  I  went  to 
Asia  because  I  was  alone  and  poor  and  had  to 
seek  work  as  a  nurse." 

"  Liar  and  traitor ! "  he  answered  in  a  paroxysm 
of  fury.  "You  used  your  devilish  powers  of 
mesmerism  to  make  me  commit  the  crime  that 
sent  me  to  a  living  death,  and  after  I  had  lost 
my  name  and  my  soul  to  pamper  your  vanity, 
you  abandoned  me  to  my  fate  like  a  dog.  From 
that  day  on  I  consecrated  my  life  to  hate,  and 
the  thought  of  your  punishment  gave  me 
strength  to  bear  my  sufferings.  When  I  left 
the  prison,  I  searched  America  for  you ;  no 
bloodhound  ever  followed  a  trail  more  keenly. 
I  starved  myself  to  save  money  for  the  chase. 
Sometimes  I  would  dream  that  I  had  my  fingers 
around  your  throat  and  wake  up  to  find  myself 
cheated." 

He  grinned  hideously  and  showed  his  teeth, 
his  white,  sinewy  hands  working  convulsively. 
There  was  a  maniacal  glitter  in  his  eyes. 

"  Oh,  Jack !  Jack !  for  Christ's  sake  spare 
me !"  she  begged,  with  clasped  hands  and  droop- 
ing figure.  "  I've  a  great  title  and  can  help  you 


EAGLE   BLOOD  463 

now.  You  don't  know  how  I've  worked  and 
what  I've  dared  to  win  it.  No,  no,  Jack,  don't 
look  at  me  that  way  —  you  terrify  me."  Her 
voice  sank  to  a  drowsy  sweetness,  and  her  lean 
form  swayed  to  and  fro,  sinuously  graceful. 
"You  used  to  love  me,  Jack.  You  promised 
to  cherish  and  protect  me,  dear.  See !  see ! 
your  wife,  Jack,"  —  she  reached  her  hands  out, — 
"  your  little  Barbara." 

"You  treacherous  beast!"  he  cried,  "what 
mercy  have  you  shown  to  me  ?  " 

She  straightened  up  with  a  desperate  effort  to 
hide  her  fright. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  "  she  asked. 

He  moved  nearer.  She  retreated  step  by  step, 
watching  his  terrible  eyes  and  corpselike  face. 

"  Do  ?  "  The  great  jaws  snapped  and  the 
nostrils  spread  wide.  "  Do  ? "  His  breath 
came  hard  and  short.  "  I'm  going  to  take  you 
to  hell  with  me." 

With  a  leap  he  was  upon  her.  Her  scream 
for  help  ended  in  a  gurgle,  as  the  strong  ringers 
closed  around  her  lean  throat.  He  bent  her 
head  slowly  backward,  snarling  and  growling  like 


464  EAGLE    BLOOD 

a  wild  animal  as  he  heard  the  bones  of  her  neck 
crack.  And  when  her  struggles  ceased  and  her 
eyes  were  stark,  he  picked  the  lifeless  body  up 
and  hurled  it  under  the  table. 

There  was  a  rush  of  feet  on  the  stairs  and  a 
clamorous  group,  headed  by  a  constable,  burst 
into  the  room.  The  murderer  greeted  them 
with  a  roar  of  laughter. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

WHERE  the  sun  shone  brightest  on  the  ve- 
randa of  the  little  red-roofed  cottage  among  the 
trees,  Mr.  Martin  lay  asleep  in  his  easy-chair, 
his  goodly  white  head  nodding  dreamlessly  and 
his  overturned  pipe  scattering  its  ashes  along 
the  broad  railing.  The  smell  of  roses  and  the 
song  of  birds  were  in  the  peaceful  air.  Helen 
Martin,  bending  among  the  flowers,  raised  her 
head  and  smiled  at  the  sight  of  the  drowsy 
patriarch. 

It  was  a  pleasant  sight,  this  quaint  house, 
framed  in  green  branches,  with  its  prim,  many- 
colored  garden  and  fragrant  shrubs.  The  rustling 
of  the  morning  air  among  the  leaves,  the  droning 
of  the  bees,  and  the  clucking  of  the  fat  hen  in  the 
hedge  were  sounds  in  harmony  with  the  tranquil 
contentment  of  the  place.  Even  the  open  door, 
running  over  with  roses,  seemed  to  say  that  all 
within  was  rest  and  quiet. 

465 


466  EAGLE    BLOOD 

The  young  mistress  of  the  cottage  was  fair  to 
look  upon.  Her  brown  eyes  sparkled,  and  the 
bloom  of  health  was  in  her  cheeks.  The  slim, 
girlish  lines  of  her  figure  had  ripened  into  the 
dignity  of  womanly  beauty,  yet  she  moved  with 
the  lightness  and  grace  of  a  child.  Her  hat  lay 
on  the  grass  beside  her,  and  the  breeze  blew  her 
soft  brown  hair  about  her  dainty  head.  One 
white  arm,  bare  to  the  elbow,  held  the  gathered 
roses  in  crushed  confusion  against  her  breast. 

Presently  the  little  gate  of  the  garden  creaked, 
and  a  tall  young  man  came  bounding  along  the 
gravel  path,  halting,  hat  in  hand,  before  her. 
The  vigor  of  youth  was  in  the  spring  of  his  step 
and  the  glow  of  his  tanned  face. 

"  Oh,  is  it  you,  Hugh  ?  "  she  said,  stooping 
over  a  rose-bush  with  a  maidenly  effort  to  seem 
indifferent  that  made  him  smile. 

"  How  beautiful  you  are,  Helen  !  " 

"  You've  left  the  gate  open  again,  sir." 

"  What  of  it,  dear  ?  Let  us  open  the  gates  of 
all  the  gardens  in  the  world  to-day  and  leave 
them  open  for  ever  and  ever." 

"  Which  means  in  sensible  language  —  ?  " 


EAGLE    BLOOD  467 

"  That  I  want  you  to  come  with  me  for  a  stroll 
in  the  woods.  I've  something  to  say  to  you, 
Helen,  and  he  "  —  pointing  to  the  sleeping  guar- 
dian on  the  veranda  — "  might  wake  up,  which 
is  not  desirable." 

"  Now,  why  do  you  always  interrupt  me  when 
I'm  busy  ? "  she  demanded,  with  an  adorable 
frown  that  would  not  have  deceived  a  child. 

"  Yes,  I  know  it's  unpleasant.  I  hate  to  be 
interrupted  myself,  and  "  —  with  another  glance 
toward  the  unconscious  figure  on  the  veranda  — 
"that's  why  I  thought  —  " 

"  Hugh,  you're  standing  on  my  hat !  " 

"  —  why  I  thought  of  the  woods." 

"  It's  simply  ruined." 

"  So  it  is,"  he  admitted,  holding  the  trampled 
hat  up  and  surveying  it  calmly.  "  It  shows  how 
the  slightest  misstep  in  a  man's  life  —  " 

"  Do  you  suppose  it  would  do  to  go  as  I  am, 
bareheaded  ? " 

"  —  may  turn  his  feet  from  heaven  —  for 
a  while." 

Mr.  Martin  coughed  and  stirred  in  his  chair. 

"  If  you  really  want  me  to  go,  Hugh  —  " 


468  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  Of  course  it's  annoying  to  be  disturbed  when 
one  is  so  busy  —  " 

The  sleeper  sneezed  loudly,  and  the  lovers  fled 
laughing  through  the  gate  into  the  shady  path 
that  led  under  the  murmuring  boughs. 

"  How  good  these  trees  are,"  said  Hugh,  as 
they  stood  in  the  pleasant  shadow  of  a  clump  of 
oaks.  "  How  strong  and  sure  of  life  they  seem. 
They  were  here  before  we  were  born,  and  they'll 
be  here  when  we're  gone.  Oh,  Helen  !  "  —  his 
voice  brought  the  wild  rose  tints  to  her  cheek  — 
"  with  such  a  short  time  to  live,  can  we  afford  to 
jest  and  play  with  the  best  impulses  God  puts  in 
our  hearts  ?  Can  we  sit  here  before  these  silent 
witnesses  of  human  brevity  and  forget  the  lesson 
they  teach  ? " 

A  gray  squirrel  whisked  up  a  rough  trunk, 
leaped  out  on  the  low-hanging  branch,  and 
stood  watching  them  with  bold,  bright  eyes  and 
swaying  tail.  The  hollow  rat-tat-tat  of  a  wood- 
pecker echoed  through  the  dim  woods. 

"  I  think  "  —  the  words  trembled  on  her  lips 
—  "I  think  we  had  better  return  to  the  house, 
Hugh." 


EAGLE    BLOOD  469 

"  Sweetheart ! " 

He  gathered  her  in  his  strong  arms  and 
kissed  her  passionately. 

"  Oh,  little  one !  it  has  been  so  long,  so  very 
long." 

She  lay  in  his  embrace,  still  and  white,  her 
head  resting  against  his  breast  and  her  lips  half 
parted. 

"  Do  you  forget  the  past,  Hugh  ?  " 

"  No,  dear." 

"  And  have  you  no  regrets  ?  Ah  !  some  day 
you  may  remember  with  bitterness  what  you 
have  given  up."  She  sprang  from  his  embrace 
in  a  passion  of  fear.  "  Some  day  you  will  want 
to  go  back  to  England,  and  everything  will 
remind  you  of  your  old  days,  of  the  rank  you 
have  abandoned." 

"  Yes,  dear  ;  and  everything  will  remind  me 
of  what  I  have  won.  Oh,  Helen  !  Helen  !  can't 
you  understand?  I've  left  all  the  sham  and 
pretence  behind." 

"  You  gave  up  your  name  —  for  me  ?  " 

"  And  you  hesitate  —  " 

"  I  ?  " 


470  EAGLE    BLOOD 

"  — to  give  up  your  name  ?  " 

With  a  little  cry,  she  threw  her  arms  about 
him. 

"  No,  no,  Hugh,"  she  murmured.  "  Take 
me  and  keep  me." 

They  sat  at  the  foot  of  the  great  oak,  and  he 
drew  a  ring  from  his  ringer.  It  was  the  talisman 
of  Tancred. 

"  Mr.  Chadder  brought  it  to  me  from  Lon- 
don," he  said.  "  A  great  knight  gave  it  to 
one  of  my  forefathers  at  Jerusalem.  It  has 
been  worn  by  the  just  and  the  unjust,  by  the 
living  and  the  dead." 

He  took  her  hand  in  his. 

"  Which  is   the  proper  finger,  Helen  ? " 

"  Not  that,  you  goose,  —  the  left  hand." 

"And  —  ?" 

"  The  third  finger." 


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